In the Shadow of a Doubt
by Child at Heart Forever
Summary: A year after halting an alien invasion and curing himself of amnesia, Shadow the Hedgehog has found some inner peace and currently serves as an active member of society. However, facing his final inner demon in the form of Mephiles and being the only one that really knows what's going on, he's got quite the challenge to face...but he's definitely not alone this time.
1. Saving Agent Rouge

**It's finally here...! And coincidentally, it coincides with my sixth year anniversary of being on this site! *I'mgettingold***

**Anyway, at long last, we have Shadow's story of Sonic 06! Unlike Sonic and Silver, Shadow isn't recalling anything- he's sort of telling it as it happens, with him forgetting it all in the end anyway. But as it stands, it acts heavily as a sequel to I Am All of Me, so feel free to see it as such! I have nothing to say that I haven't said in Sonic and Silver's stories, other than "this is going to be _so awesome_", so without further ado, I hope you enjoy! ^^**

* * *

In the Shadow of a Doubt

The sky was exceedingly dark that night, with angry gray clouds rolling across the sky in a dominant march, and several flakes of snow fell from above and amassed in spades on the ground. Sirens were going off in a singular droning wail, and spotlights were crossing the snow-blanketed ground, on the hunt for an intruder.

But they weren't going to find him for two reasons; one being that he knew _well_ to hide in the shadows…

…_and the second being the fact that he was _me.

Several armed drones marched out of the vicinity, on the prowl for anything that served to infiltrate their secrets. It was useless for them to resist…for I was coming at them full force; I was getting what I came here for, and I didn't plan on leaving empty-handed.

I activated the rockets in my shoes and hovered over the rapidly deepening snow, crossing ground in record time, even with the army of drones firing in my direction. The shots were fruitless- barely any even managed to nick me, let alone actually make contact. I skated straight through their cross-fire, determination etched on my face without the slightest sign of it vanishing.

All robots I'd passed promptly exploded seconds after I whisked by.

Some I took out by hand; ricocheting off their bodies, spinning through them, punching through them, teleporting behind them and striking them from their blind spots. I could safely say I had plenty of fighting experience under my belt, and it was always a good day when I could put it all to good use.

In one harrowing bound, I leapt over the large security walls and landed within the acropolis, one step closer to my destination. A loud explosion rang out from the other side of the brick barrier- the only remnant of me having been there.

It was then that I chose to duck into the shadows to hide from the sweeping spotlights, also taking the opportunity to rendezvous with my superiors. I quickly checked the communicator a certain two-tailed fox had given me so long ago and proceeded to make the call.

"Transmission from HQ," came the gruff and stoic voice of the GUN Commander, Abraham Tower. "There's an SOS coming from Doctor Eggman's base. Our last communication with our agent was twenty-six hours ago. We expect an immediate rescue…Shadow the Hedgehog."

"Understood," I replied just as seriously, my red gaze scanning the area ahead of me for a safe path I could take. "Initiating the mission now."

Within the time span of a blink, I'd vanished in a spark of white, heading off to see that my job was complete.

My name is Shadow the Hedgehog…a year ago, I'd be nothing more than an amnesiac, one who didn't know who he was or who his friends were…but after several grueling trials, collecting the Chaos Emeralds, and defeating the leader of the alien race who had a hand in creating me, my memories finally returned, and I knew who I was at long last.

Now that I knew of my past, I was ready to move forward, and one of those ways was through working for the military, known as GUN in these parts. I'd proven to work well with agents of GUN in the past, and it was Abraham Tower himself who hired me, using it as his way of apologizing to me for how he treated me before. Seeing as it was all water under the bridge, I was willing to accept his olive branch as a step toward my new life.

And now, here I am, a year later on my latest mission to rescue one of GUN's most important agents, Rouge the Bat, who'd lost communications with HQ over a day ago. She was sent to retrieve a potentially powerful artifact, and now I had to retrieve _her_.

I'm pretty sure_ I_ was only assigned the mission because she's my best friend, but hey, circumstances were circumstances. Now I was faced with the trials of a deadly winter wonderland, but I was more than ready to take it on.

_As a matter of fact, I doubt that anything could ever deter me again._

Chapter 1: Saving Agent Rouge

"Doctor Eggman…what is he up to this time?"

The mere fact he was in possession of _any_ sort of artifact was a red flag in itself, seeing as he had an obsession for trying control as many creatures of lore as he possibly could. As for those he managed to bring to life? They swatted him away like the_ bug_ he was. You'd think he'd cut and run from such acts after a few tries, but the man was known for his tenacity…

I hurriedly made my way down the snowy hill, expertly dodging trees and hoping for the best as I followed the directions HQ had given me. Seeing as it was snowing pretty heavily, it was hard to see, but weather was the last thing that was going to get me to turn around. I rushed over an outcropping on the snow and took to the air, landing on a weathered grind rail for a speedier alternate route to trudging through the snow. However, as expected, some of Eggman's robots lingered up ahead, but they were much different than the silly-looking Egg Pawns I was used to. They were built with more refined tech, a sleeker design, and didn't bear the eternally-grinning face of their creator.

_Thank heavens for small miracles._

In a flash of black I was up against them, taking them down with relatively quick strikes that they never saw coming. Their debris remnants fell into the snow, disappearing quickly under the next wave of snowflakes. Just before I wondered if Eggman's new drones were really that dispensable, I came across a much bigger creation, one that was shooting out lasers in all directions and standing at least four times my size. I scouted it from behind the trunk of a fir tree and contemplated to myself.

"If it loses both its arms, that'll be my chance. It'll be off balance, so I can knock it down."

I teleported onto its shoulder, curling into a ball and using my sharpened quills as a buzz saw to hack off its right arm. The machine stumbled after this, only to use its other arm to try to swat me off. I anticipated this, jumping onto the head and dodging the blow before hurling myself at the other arm. With both arms gone, I alighted back on the ground, then whirled around and landed a kick at the mech's torso. With a loud creak, it fell into the snow, unable to pick itself up and malfunctioning to the point of exploding.

With it gone, I was free to carry on, skating down the hill once again. With Rouge and my mission at the front of my mind, they served as my driving force for the moment, along with the fact that Eggman was brewing something. And just like his namesake, it was probably something rotten.

I took the high road to avoid being detected by the spotlights, but the downside to this was the fact that it was crowded with robots. They served little as an obstacle; they were nothing more than gears and cogs mere seconds after I encountered them.

"Hmm, the door up ahead looks like it leads into the base."

Sure enough, there was a large metallic door that led into the side of a cliff, but it was shut tight, and I really didn't feel like using alternate methods to get in.

"There's gotta be a switch around here somewhere…"

I darted past the door to check the tree up ahead; nothing immediate stuck out, but just as I thought, there was a switch on an out of reach outcropping on the cliff.

"Nothing's ever easy…"

_And I knew that better than anyone._

I quickly bounded from the branches of a nearby pine tree, using them as a ladder of sorts to work my way up to higher ground. When I was level with the outcropping, I curled up and threw myself at the switch, knocking into it and successfully opening the way forward. I jumped back down and rounded the cliff again; the door was opening with a slow creak, with a horde of robots waiting behind it. They all took aim at me as soon as I crossed their radar, but I simply stretched out my arm and threw myself into the fray.

"Take this!" I yelled, bounding off the smaller drones and rapidly kicking at the bigger one. I struck swiftly, refusing to allow my adversary a chance to retaliate. With it felled, I carried onward…only to see just who I was looking for.

"Rouge!" I called up to her, watching as she inched her way against the walls of the cliff. She couldn't hear me over the sounds of the winds, even with her excellent ears, and there was certainly no room on that thin ledge for me to teleport next to her. So for the time being, I was going to closely follow her and be there in case she needed me.

Which was doubtful, since she clearly pretty much had her escape all planned out.

**S-R**

"I might've gotten out of the base, but security's still pretty high…" I mumbled to myself, carefully watching the deadly lasers and swooping spotlights fill the path ahead. "Still, should be a piece of cake for a girl like me!"

As a well-respected government agent by day, and a beautiful, skillful jewel thief by night, there was no way I couldn't enter the doctor's scruffy old base and come out unscathed…I just wasn't expecting the shocking increase in number of his robots. I ended up breaking the communicator that cute little fox boy made for me last year in the midst of a scuffle, and I hadn't been able to contact anyone since…

_But I was on my way out now, so no problem!_

Eggman's guard was high, but also spread thin at the moment, and I managed to break free of the building with my prize in tow and glide through the air, flying into the freedom of the night and using the cliff side as a cover. Good thing too, because even though I was more than capable of dispatching Eggman's crude creations with a good old fashioned Tornado Kick...the LAST thing I wanted a dreadful oil stain on my white boots.

Still, running into them was inevitable, so I was really lucky that GUN outfitted me with some bombs before I made my way out. With them, I could creep around the corner of the cliffs, toss a bomb, and blow any clunkers that got in my way right off the side of the mountain.

_I'm beautiful AND efficient!_

The bombs also made it ridiculously easy for me to eliminate the searchlights as a threat- I was elusive enough already, especially with my pristine ivory fur against the pure white snow, but if the doctor wanted to make things simpler on a girl, far be it from me to complain! I was just glad to be out in the field again; being stuck in GUN HQ was always boring, as there were _so_ many other things I could be doing with my time…

But once I was outside, escaping was like second nature. I flew around the pine trees, brought down the doctor's bots one by one, and scaled the walls like a true professional. I was even able to open the door leading out of the base with the simplest of ease…!

"Doctor Eggman is no match for me-!"

…_I just wasn't expecting Shadow to be on the other side._

**R-S**

"Well, hello there, hon! Fancy meeting you here," Rouge greeted me with that flirtatious wink and wave; I just folded my arms and gave her a nod of acknowledgement. She then became a bit more serious and raised an eyebrow. "Of all people though, Shadow, why you?"

"It's a request from the President, issued to the GUN Commander, and negated to me," I explained, racing away from the base with Rouge in tow. She sighed and stretched out her wings.

"Ah, and here I was thinking that you came to get me because you missed me."

"I'm sorry I'm not here on personal business," I stated, breaking in the snow in front of a mess of drones. "But there'll be plenty of time to catch up once we get out of here."

"I dunno, what I found is QUITE a conversation starter." Rouge was trying to tease me with whatever she found; I frankly didn't care. I was cold, and would prefer to get back to GUN HQ as soon as possible.

_And it didn't help that we were in a foreign country._

When word spread back home about Eggman taking off toward a base in the White Acropolis, GUN sources poured over maps and globes until they found its location on a relatively small city-state isle of Soleanna. The place had a variety of different landscapes to its name…and Eggman _had_ to pick the farthest, coldest, most secluded and unpleasant area he could to build a base.

_And Rouge HAD to investigate it. _

"I'm telling you, this is going to open up a lot of new mysteries," Rouge explained to me as she took out the drones ahead of us with her bombs. "Before we go home, maybe we can stop in the city and discuss it over brunch!"

"Do you have any idea what time it is right now?" I asked irritatedly, pointing at the half-moon glowing like the sun in the starry sky. "It's not even dawn and you're talking about brunch!"

Rouge rolled her teal eyes and shook her head. "Still a killjoy after all this time, I see…can't even make a little light conversation-!"

"There are advanced DRONES in our path and you want to chat about _tomorrow's meal_."

I ducked as Rouge hurled a bomb over my head, taking out the nearest spotlight in one shot. It then occurred to me that I should _probably_ stop talking so condescendingly as long as she had decent explosives.

"If you're done being a letdown, there's an Armed Buggy over there," she pointed out to me, gesturing to a red and black vehicle parked behind a pile of snow. "It's not exactly the fastest mode of transportation, but we can fight back easier…and at least we won't be trudging in snow."

"Then what are we waiting for?" I asked, leaping into the front seat and revving it up. "Let's get moving!"

The ends of Rouge's mouth cured up a little as she flew over and landed in the passenger's seat, and I punched the gas of the Armed Buggy. The vehicle jerked forward, us along with it, but there was nothing to worry about as I had everything under perfect control-

I drove straight into a rock.

"Not a word, Rouge…" I grunted under my breath as a smirk teased on Rouge's lips. I threw the thing in reverse, corrected myself, then started hitting the controls for the turrets.

Large missiles soared out of the buggy and collided with the searchlights, turning them to rubble in seconds. Rouge was clearly impressed by this, as her bombs had nothing on those explosives, and I was just content that we had a decent way to get out of here.

I drove over a ramp and crossed a ravine, sailing into new territory with even more drones and spotlights. I remained expressionless as I took out robots and searchlights alike, their remains scattering on the ground and falling straight into the snow. I tore past the rubble with the buggy, looking for the fastest way out of the Acropolis.

"We need to get out of her quickly!"

"Well you're the one driving, hon; if you're in a rush then step on it," Rouge hummed next to me. I threw her a look before punching the gas again, sending the buggy careening through the snow and destroying anything Eggman-made in the process.

"Shadow, that door is open over there!" Rouge suddenly called, pointing forward. Sure enough, just behind a throng of trees was the way out of this accursed acropolis, so I stepped on it again and leaned into my steering.

"Then hang on!" I shouted, and Rouge was suddenly using my arm as support.

_Clearly didn't need to tell her twice_.

We left skid marks in the snow if that was even possible, cornering around trees and not stopping for anything until we were safely on the other side of the door.

"I guess that was all right…"

Even then, I kept my foot on the gas, and even and after Rouge looked over her shoulder to make sure we were in the clear, she finally relaxed.

"You know I could have totally gotten out of there without your help, right?"

"Perhaps, but no one's heard from you at HQ in over a day-"

"Some robot broke the screen on my communicator; not my fault," she huffed, folding her arms.

"Maybe you'll run into Tails and he can fix it for you."

"Yeah, like him or Knuckie or anyone's going to be in Soleanna the same time we are…"

She sounded almost disappointed, in a way. I glanced over to her and found that she was suddenly spacey.

"It's been awhile since you've seen any of them, huh?"

"Yeah," she admitted, looking thoughtful. "It's weird though…how close we've all gotten. All it takes is a couple robot attacks, an amnesiac, and an alien invasion to bring people together, huh?"

"Hmm," was all I murmured in response. The topic was just a tad sensitive, and she of all people knew that.

"What, YOU haven't seen any of the gang since the invasion, have you?"

"…can't say I really have," I finally stated with a shrug. "Been kinda busy with work, you know."

Her eyes lit up as she put a hand on my shoulder. "That's why you should get a hobby, like me!"

"Uh, sorry, but midnight raids at a jewel museum aren't really to my interest."

We fell into a bit of silence -I think Rouge was a bit miffed at my retaliation- before anything of importance happened. I also decided that we really didn't need the Armed Buggy anymore, so we jumped out of it and planned to make the rest of the way on foot. It was then that I noticed what Rouge had taken from Eggman's base.

It was small in size but powerful-looking, and it appeared to be some sort of…staff? I was too far away to tell, though the ominous purple glow of the jewel at the center was incredibly eye catching. I guess Rouge saw me staring at it, because she was using it to drum up a conversation again.

"Don't you want to know what this is?"

I still didn't particularly care, regardless of my scanning of the object. I stopped walked and turned to face her to make sure my point got across.

"My assignment was to rescue you; nothing more."

"Fine," she heaved with a sigh. "With you it's ALWAYS business…"

Before I could defend myself, the area around the base suddenly shook, catching Rouge and I entirely off guard. Three robots came soaring into the area from above, but I had a feeling that they weren't the source of the quaking…

_Just a hunch._

"…it seems they don't want us to leave," Rouge commented behind me, her grip tightening around the object in her hands. I simply huffed and took a fighting position.

"Let's just get this over with."

I was ready to teleport behind the three drones and take them out simultaneously with a Chaos Blast, but I wasn't expecting a giant robotic dog to leap out of nowhere and glower angrily at me. It was a bit rusty and banged up, like it had been in a fight previously, but it was still full of energy and still posed a threat.

"It's like the doctor's guard dog!" I sneered, activating my hover shoes and gliding around the area to get a better angle on it. Rouge was darting around behind me, just in case there was anything she could do. She stashed her treasure away and spread out her wings, ready for anything.

The Egg Cerberus was prancing around the arena, like a puppy that didn't go outside much. It was really far away from us at the moment, and I wasn't particularly keen on getting too close.

_Rouge was._

"Hey, bone breath!" she crooned, standing in an open area trying to get the thing's attention. "Come and get me."

I just stared curiously.

"What in the world are you-"

"Just get behind it while it's distracted!" she hissed through gritted teeth, now flying in the air and still crazily waving her arms. I had no idea what going behind it would do for me, but if Rouge insisted, why not?

Egg Cerberus eventually honed in on Rouge and started thundering over to her, with Rouge staying in one place and hoping for the best. I hurried to skate behind Cerberus, where I realized I could grind on its tail. Jumping up and reaching its back, I noticed that there was an antenna on its head, which was probably where it received its orders.

Just before he could take a bite out of Rouge, I grabbed the tip of the antenna, and found I could control it myself.

"Shadow! Make it crash into something!" Rouge called out to me.

It veered sharply to the left, just barely evading Rouge, and I wasn't sure where I was supposed to drive it to. It just wanted me gone, and it started shaking its head back and forth in an attempt to get me off. Still, I managed to mow it through some searchlight stands and ultimately crash into one of the reinforced steel walls that surrounded us. I bounced off before the collision; Egg Cerberus wasn't doing as well as I was.

"Nice job, Shadow!" Rouge exclaimed, coming back down from the air. "Just keep on intercepting its orders and crashing it into the wall, and he'll go down!"

I wasted no time in getting back at Cerberus' tail; he was so preoccupied with turning back around to get at me that I had just enough time to work my way up his tail again. Bounding across his back, I latched onto the antenna once more and jerked it sharply to the right.

The three drones we encountered earlier tried shooting at me to get me to let go, but Rouge came to my rescue, knocking one of them out with a spin and a kick to the head. It shattered almost instantly upon impact, with the other two taken out by a well-timed bomb toss.

"That takes care of that!" Rouge exclaimed, alighting on the ground rather stylishly. She winked at me, and I used this chance to ram Cerberus into the wall again. I hadn't let go in time, thus the impact of crashing into the wall send me flying, tumbling into the snow for a soft yet unpleasant landing. Rouge was at my side in a flash, but I was on my feet faster, flashing my fangs at the robotic monster and demonstrating that I meant business.

"There was armor on its head," I realized, and Rouge's eyes lit up curiously. "I think I finally broke it off! One more hit should do it in!"

"The front's too dangerous, Shadow! Try going at it from the back again," she told me, which was exactly was I planned to do.

I melted the snow with the flames from my shoes, skating my way over to the back of Cerberus once more. Its face was now exposed, and I had to say, it was a lot less ugly with the armor over its face. It then jumped onto a higher part of the area, proceeding to roar in anguish and lock its gaze onto me.

_Well, shoot._

It lunged instantly, and all I saw was a ten ton android canine come soaring down at me, mouth wide open and fangs looking for something to clamp down on. I managed to dodge, but the shockwave it sent out with its jump forced me to the ground.

"Ugnh…!"

"Shadow, get up!" Rouge snapped at me, having flown over the shockwave with no problems. She bent down in the snow and tried to get me to move, but I suppose that dog had some bite to its bark…!

"I'm fine," I stated instantly, pushing myself up off the ground and glowering at my adversary. "This thing's dog days are numbered!"

"Ooh, good one!" she squealed, applauding afterward. I then jumped up and homed in on its tail, barely managing to grab it before Cerberus went careening around the area again. Rouge rushed to fly out of the way, only to be knocked into the snow trying to avoid getting stepped on.

"Argh, do what I tell you…!" I exclaimed, making my way toward the antenna, but Cerberus was a dog that wouldn't fall for old tricks, and I ended up being tossed into the snow once more. Rouge scrambled up from where she was, noticing that the snow around me was glowing red. Cerberus seemed pretty entertained by this as well, since he stopped to gaze at the glowing snow too.

_Which was a mistake._

"Death to all who oppose me!"

I rocketed out of the snow, my shoes lit up to the max and keeping me hovered in midair while my aura glowed a dangerous red. Cerberus looked up at me and growled again, as if challenging me to come at it. I didn't want to waste my precious Chaos Energy on this guy, so I flashed forward, smashing into its head and grabbing onto its antenna. Rouge just watched with wide eyes as I wrestled with Cerberus, the crazy machine trying to knock me off again, but there was no way I was going to let him get ME twice.

I eventually started winning out the battle, forcing Cerberus toward the wall. He stumbled a bit, losing traction by the second, and finally, I directed his head into the wall, ricocheting away before I myself got caught in the blast.

It stumbled backward from the impact, struggling to stay standing at this point. It eventually let out one final roar before going lifeless, falling in a slump on the ground, the drifting snow coming down and starting to blanket it in white.

"I really need to stay focused," I muttered under my breath, standing straight and dusting myself off. I've tangled with things much worse than that mechanical mutt, and letting something like that get the best of me was unheard of.

"Thank goodness THAT'S over," sighed Rouge, sauntering over to my side. "Now, I know you're in a hurry to get out of here, but there's a very good reason why that guard dog was in this area."

"And what reason is that?" I asked, only for Rouge to point over to a teleporter, one that was blocked off but the effects of the battle had revealed it for all to see. She grabbed my wrist and started dragging me over to that direction.

"Come on! I bet Eggman's got some MORE treasure stashed around!"

"I think you have less of a nose for treasure and more of a nose for trouble…"

Rouge murmured something under her breath, but still insisted on dragging me along. I couldn't understand why she needed me, but anything related to the doctor always had me on edge…

_And for good reason._

. . .

We were transported somewhere into the deepest catacombs of Eggman's base, and Rouge was particularly excited at whatever we were destined to find. Eggman's teleporting technology was top notch as always, but I stayed on alert regardless.

The room we were in was completely made out of metal, with electronics and other tech decorating the walls. Of immediate interest was the painting of a young lady on the wall framed in gold, and the electronic screen with the map of Soleanna on it. Perhaps this trip would produce results after all…

"Ah, Soleanna, the city of water," Rouge hummed, rattling off with her trivia. "It has a constitutional monarchy, you know. The primary industries are tourism and crafting precision machinery."

She then noticed me staring at the picture of the girl on the wall, and felt the need to fill me in on that too.

"The current sovereign is Princess Elise the Third."

_Why the heck did Eggman have a picture of her in his base…?_

"…so why does Eggman's base lead to an odd place like this?"

For all we knew, maybe this place didn't belong to Eggman, but the odds of that weren't nearly as high as the alternative.

"How should I know? I just followed my orders and retrieved the item that Eggman wanted so badly." Rouge shrugged it off rather quickly. She then twirled the object between her fingers, a twinkle in her eye as she turned to smirk at me. "Anyway, I have a little favor to ask of you. Could you escort me to the GUN rendezvous point?"

"Where's the rendezvous point?" I inquired, already knowing that there was no way to talk myself out of the mission. Rouge pointed up at the electronic map, at the only area that was colored red…

"It's the ancient castle of Soleanna, in Kingdom Valley…"

"Kingdom Valley, hm?"

I found myself staring curiously at that particularly peculiar section of the map. The rest of it was green, so why was only that one section red? Did something happen there, or was it just an area of interest?

_Curse you, foreboding sense of curiosity. I had just wanted to go home...and little did I know I was walking straight into the biggest mistake of my life. _


	2. A Mirror in a Shadow

**werewolf lover99: **I know they were trying to make him dound like a little kid, but yeah, he came off a tad bit girly.

**SonicSonic54321**: There are so many opportunities for humor that I cannot pass them by. xD

**Darkness Wizard**: I reused the original joke. The two sets of communicators are not related. (Though I think that'd mean Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, and Amy have two...? One for their homeworld and one for interdimensional travel?) Eh, evidently my adaptions are not canon to each other. :P

* * *

In the Shadow of a Doubt

Chapter 2: A Mirror in a Shadow

"Shadow, respond. I've prepared the means to go to Kingdom Valley. Go to the forest cave immediately!"

That message came from my communicator, after I informed GUN of Rouge's safety and her retrieval of her mysterious object. While I knew she could get to Kingdom Valley just fine by herself, even though she was in new territory, the place had piqued my own personal interest, and that's why I wanted to tag along.

And with Rouge's communicator broken, we couldn't have her getting lost again.

"Let's get moving, Rouge…" I told her, starting to make my way through the city. Rouge tagged behind me, gliding in midair looking less than amused.

"Why do you ALWAYS say that? It's like you can't stay in one spot for more than a few moments! At least Sonic knows when to take the time to smell the flowers…"

"Don't compare me to him!" I snapped instantly, and Rouge sent a sly grin in my direction. She figured I only said that because of the rivalry I had with Sonic, but in actuality, I didn't deserve to be compared to Sonic all in all.

_I'd be dead before I admitted that, though._

"I just want to help you to your rendezvous, and then I'm on my way to my next mission," I finished a little lower, slowing from a jog into a stroll. Rouge fell into step next to me with her arms folded behind her head.

"Shadow, I know you love to throw yourself into your work; Chaos knows I do too…" she twirled in front of me and spread out her wings. "But life is happening right now, and if you're looking the other way, it's going to pass you by."

"Easy for you to say- you're not immortal or ageless or whatever I am…" I huffed back. "Two hundred years from now I'll still be around, with even more time ahead of me to do as I please…sounds nice, but the world will move forward without me, changing constantly with the blink of an eye, the landscape different, society different, the people different…"

"Hence why you should live in the _now_ instead of the future," Rouge scoffed. "Two hundred years? You're thinking a _tad_ too far ahead. I hardly plan beyond three days!"

"Well then, sorry my planner is booked to the day for the next several years."

Rouge halted and quirked an eyebrow at me. "Your sense of humor puts me off even to this very day."

"I detected no humor in my last statement."

"And now you're talking like Omega again…!"

_Messing with Rouge was fun sometimes._

Anyway, before heading out in the forest, I bought a few things from the store, one being a Blue Chip that enhanced my Light Speed Dash, and the other being a blue Memory Shard. I didn't really need it all in all, but something about it made me feel more…secure.

"Perhaps it'll come in handy later on," I told myself. Rouge swiped the thing from my hand and inspected it closely.

"It's no Chaos Emerald, but it does have a nice charm to it," she mused. I snatched it back and stowed it away in my quills.

"Yeah, well, just remember it's_ mine_," I stated sternly. Rouge almost seemed insulted.

"Shadow! You know I don't steal from _friends_! …anymore, at least."

_Oh, dear._

. . .

The forest had a drastically different atmosphere from the main city. It was much calmer, and serene, and the air smelled natural and untainted by the products of society. It was almost hard to believe that just a small distance away, skyscrapers reigned supreme.

"Definitely a…quaint forest," I mused, taking my first few steps through trees. Any other time I'd ever been in a forest, there was always something crazy or dangerous involved, but now…I could just enjoy nature without having to worry about anything. "Hmm…"

"Ah, I could stay here all day!" I glanced up and saw Rouge hanging upside down from a branch with a content smile. "The city air can be so damaging to a girl's skin…it's nice to get away from it all every now and then!"

"Stop treating this like a vacation!" I exclaimed. "We're on a _mission_-"

"You're such a wet blanket," Rouge pouted, gliding down from her spot yet still hovering away from me. "Besides, it IS kinda like a vacation! New country, new things to see-"

"New plot of Eggman's that we'll get involved in sooner or later," I interrupted.

"Well you can't say that you're not enjoying yourself even just a little?" Rouge inquired, inching closer to me.

_So persistent…_

"Nrgh, I GUESS it's a nice change of pace. Now please stop hounding me; GUN is waiting for us…"

Rouge finally cooperated, flying over a broken bridge to the next area without a word. I was able to follow only because a row of rings lined the abyss, and using my Light Speed Dash, I made it across with no problems either. We then followed the path straight to a cave, which served as the entrance for a great valley….

…_and the opening of a can of worms that time itself would have trouble sealing…_

. . .

Arriving in Kingdom Valley, Rouge and I were instantly greeted with a red and black glider, left by GUN to allow for easier traveling to the rendezvous. Rouge was completely fine with flying her way over, but I think the glider was meant more for me.

"What a faraway place to set the extraction point," I mused to myself, taking off into the air with rocket-powered glider. I twas incredibly unsteady, but I'd managed to get it under control with sheer will power alone. Rouge soared contently next to me, whistling into the wind.

"At least this way it's almost impossible for any unfriendly ears to overhear or witness the exchange," she pointed out.

_But it was so inconvenient…_

"It's amazing how many ruins are here though."

"Remember, this is Kingdom Valley," Rouge went on to explain. "Long ago, there was a royal castle here. But rather recently, it was moved to its current location in Soleanna City."

"You certainly know a lot about this place," I commented. Rouge just swooped down and shrugged.

"I did a lot of reading up on my way here. It never hurts to be knowledgeable in foreign affairs!"

Our midflight conversation was cut short by the arrival of an abundance of Egg Shooters, coming at us from below. Missiles came whizzing at us from all directions, with Rouge having to swerve like a madwoman to remain unscathed, but I found that I could fight back- my glider had missile launchers!

_I'll admit, GUN does come through sometimes. _

"Well, so much for secluded," I commented, blasting another horde of drones away. "Guess Eggman's not too happy about his base being ransacked."

"Should've known he was keeping an eye on this place too!" exclaimed Rouge. "We've been careless!"

Despite the power my missile launchers had, their aim was terrible, and a few of the robots managed to evade my onslaught. Rouge tried helping out with her bombs, but they weren't quite strong enough to leave enough of an impact.

"Well great- we're going to have to land eventually," she mused, and I nodded in agreement.

"It seems so…just watch this."

It was then that I let go of the glider and started to descend to the valley below; Rouge's face twisted into shock before swooping after me, but she worried for nothing. I activated my jet shoes to slow my descent, then turned blue and snapped my fingers.

"Chaos Control!"

Time halted briefly for the robots, allowing Rouge to realize what was happening and grin. She then worked herself up into a deadly spin, spiraling around the area and knocking out any and all drones with one swift kick attack. I then called off the time break, heaving a bit seeing that the move drained me considerably. Rouge finished off one last drone by kicking her heel into its torso, then she skipped back over to me.

"Who needs missiles when you've got muscle?" she smirked, radiating confidence.

_Who needs muscle when you've got missiles?_

Now on the ground, I could get a better look at my situation. We were out of the valley for the time being, with the path ahead of us leading up the side of an old castle. I found myself staring up at the majesty of the aged brick building, caught in the atmosphere of it all…but the moment was ruined when Rouge hurled one of her bombs at the group of robots that were lingering on the stairs.

"...hmm."

I hurried to catch up with Rouge, still a tad curious on the story behind the old castle. Yes, the location of the Royal Family was changed…

…_but why?_

"So, this is interesting," I heard Rouge ponder, and I saw that she was standing in front of a door scratching her head. A quick glance around showed that there was no other way to go forward…and clearly Rouge had figured that out before me.

"It looks like this door needs three keys to move on," she hummed. "Now, you KNOW that's my specialty! Leave it to me!"

I couldn't even get a word in edgewise before she sprang off the side of the wall and flew off with a dainty and somewhat scathing wave.

**S-R**

Shadow seemed SO lost in that valley…I agree, I was immersed in the enriching history of Soleanna as much as the next guy, but Shadow there kept getting all spacey and weird… good thing he had me there, otherwise he'd NEVER get those three keys!

Anyway, the area of that castle was HUGE. It was almost relaxing too, allowing me to spread my wings and soar around without fear of running into anything, with such a beautiful landscape surrounding me on all sides…

_And my nose for treasure was going on the fritz._

My treasure hunting instinct kicked in almost as soon as I made the conscious decision to go after the keys. Aside from a few heists here and there, my treasuring hunting had been a bit on the low side as of late. It's hard to keep your skills sharp when nothing of worthy interest catches your eye, you know. A girl like me has standards! But that rush of knowing that you're so close and could find something incredible at any moment…THAT'S what keeps me going, if only to experience that awe-like wonder with every new piece of treasure found. Not very many people could understand the experience.

I absentmindedly bit my finger as I landed back on the ground, wondering if that echidna could empathize.

"…I should really focus on getting that first key," I murmured, trying to prevent my cheeks from turning red. I was pleasantly distracted by a horde of robots in the distance, standing in a far off area and apparently guarding something of importance.

"Now that's something that warrants investigating," I hummed, pushing off the ground and taking to the air. I flew all the way over, then latched onto the wall and started climbing my way up. Flipping onto my feet, I looked up and was greeted by the Egg Shooters, and one particularly large white drone in the middle.

"Hello, boys!" I cooed flirtatiously.

They instantly tried gunning me down.

"Well, a direct approach isn't going to work," I mused moments later, having flown out of the way as soon as they raised their guns. Shrugging, I spun around and chucked a bomb at them. The impending explosion took all of the little toys out, but the big bot in the middle still stood tall. It had two huge cannons on its shoulders, and the only reason it hadn't shot yet was because it couldn't get an angle on me.

_Naturally._

A quick survey of the area revealed that it was guarding the area where the first key was lying delicately on the ground. I smirked, yet as I rolled a bomb around the palm of my hand, I eventually figured out that my bombs probably wouldn't even leave a scratch on it…

"Hmm, those legs look pretty fragile…"

Mine, on the other hand, weren't.

With a quick sweep kick, I dove back down and took the robot's legs from under it, causing it to fall forward and completely shatter upon landing. This left me free to skip over and scoop the key up around my finger, spinning it joyfully.

"Nice! Now, for the other two…"

Running forward a few steps, I took back to the air, keeping my eyes peeled for anything else that seemed suspicious. It wasn't long before my sharp (and shinning) eyes caught sight of a glowing blue box on an outcropping, where yet another robot was rampaging around.

_Shadow must've been right- Eggman really was keeping tabs on this area…_

I alighted once again and wasted no time in working myself into a Tornado Kick, making direct contact with my latest opponent. Its head whirled to face me, followed by its blasters that instantly went on the offensive. I ran around the area, working myself into its blind spot where I quickly strapped one of my bombs to its back. I then dove off the edge and hovered into cover while the bomb went off. With all the debris that burst everywhere, I could definitely conclude that it worked.

"Too bad there's not a cleaner way to do this," I pondered, climbing back to the top. I found that the blue box around the key had disappeared, and I pocketed that one and placed it with the other one. "Ah, hidden in a place like this…"

And now, there was just one to find.

As I made my way to where I figured the third key would be, I couldn't resist a glance back at Shadow. He was still by the door, but robots were coming up on him from all sides. I had started to go over there to help, but when there was a huge red explosion and several bolts of energy flying around a few moments later, I knew he could handle himself.

_He never could relax for more than a moment, though._

Once we were done with our missions and our work, maybe I could still talk him into seeing some sights with me. After all, once we left Soleanna, the chances of us coming back were exceedingly low, and I wanted to take in all it had to offer the first time around.

"That's a tall order, even for me, but I'm sure I can pull some strings…"

My search brought me to one of the towers of the castle, where there was a very nice stained glass window. The picture depicted the sun in the sky, with a bird-like creature below it. I admired it for a few moments before catching something move beyond the glass. Pressing myself against it, I saw that the room below was crawling with drones, with the third and final key sitting in a blue box in the middle of the floor.

"Of course…"

Giving the glass a kick, I discovered that it was far too strong for me to shatter on my own. Tossing a bomb in my hand, I flew up and set one in the middle of the glass, then flew to the right and hung onto the wall. I cringed and shielded myself when the glass blew to smithereens, and I remain relatively unscathed. Poking my head around, I saw that the coast was clear, so I spun myself into the room and started hurling bombs everywhere.

"Bonzai!" I shouted, grinning a bit like a madwoman with all the explosions going off around me. I was then struck violently in the back, sent to the ground in a painful heap. I could feel my eyes rolling around in my head, but when I finally managed to look up at my attacker, the fiend had his blasters aimed at me.

"Okay, this is getting old."

I jumped back and hurled a bomb at the same time, sliding out of the way as the robot set off its own end. Once I was a safe distance away, I looked around, only to find one last pack of robots creeping up on me. I struck a pose and beckoned for them to come at me, even winking in their direction.

They barely had time to lift their guns before I kicked them off their persons. After finding themselves unarmed, they started to hurry away, but I tag them with a bomb, and within moments they were no more.

"Too bad the doctor doesn't install self-destruct switches," I mused, brushing a few pieces of debris off my gloves as I sashayed toward the third and final key, freed from its confinement.

Staring at all three keys at once, I couldn't help but feel a tad nostalgic, recalling my hunt for the once broken Master Emerald shards, or even collecting three different keys to get into Eggman's pyramid base.

"Heh, guess some things never change," I hummed to myself, making my way back to Shadow.

When I finally got back to him, he was smashing a robot's head beneath his foot. A little off put, but not surprised, I sauntered over to the door and used the keys to unlock it. The door was loud and creaky when it thudded open, which I guess is what finally got Shadow's attention.

"Well that didn't take very long," he huffed. "Didn't run into any trouble, I presume?"

"Of course not," I insisted, simpering in his direction. "Treasure hunting for a pro like me is never any trouble at all."

**R-S**

Rouge really did come through with those keys, and not only that, but she came back with a much more upbeat attitude…not that she wasn't optimistic before, but now it was palpable. However, she was now leaning against the opened door and waving her finger at me, taunting me to get a move on.

"Okay, let's get going."

On the other side of the door was a Hover Vehicle, and before I could question just how many vehicles were lying around this kingdom, Rouge had leapt into the passenger's seat, patting the driver's seat and winking at me insistently. Rolling my eyes, I climbed in too and slowly hit the gas- I had no idea what to expect from this.

"Do we _really_ have to take this…?"

"This place is flooded, Shadow, and I am not getting my designer boots wet by wading in that murky water," Rouge pointed out, gesturing ahead toward the water logged floors ahead. I didn't believe that it could be THAT deep, so I picked a rock up off the ground and hurled it in.

It completely vanished without a trace.

"Okay, so MAYBE it's a little deep," I murmured under my breath, wondering why I still had to drive all these vehicles. Regardless, I turned it on, and started navigating around the towers that stood tall out of the water…really, _really_ slowly. Rouge simply kicked back and relaxed, like it was some vacation again, and just enjoyed the ride.

"It's not a speed boat in Emerald Ocean, but I can take what I can get," she teased.

_I can't win._

Rounding one of the corners, there was a few crates bobbing out of the water and robots coming out of the woodwork to attack us. I quickly checked to see if I had any defenses -I did, once again in the form of turrets- so I started clearing the crates out of our way and sinking the scrap metal to the bottom of the pool.

As I was preoccupied with my mass destruction, Rouge stuck a few fingers in the water, leaning over the Hover Vehicle and staring at her reflection curiously.

"This horrendous flooding…could this be why the location of the Royal Family was moved?" she asked.

"Perhaps," I put out, blasting through another one of Eggman's creations. "…but then, what caused the flooding?"

"It IS strange- Soleanna doesn't experience too much rain, so it can't be that," Rouge pondered. "Hmm, quite a bit of mystery here, huh?"

"If you want to find out more, be my guest, but I'm not sticking around long if I can help it."

"Here we go again," Rouge gritted under her breath, but I heard it just the same.

"I _gave_ you my opinion on this matter, Rouge."

"Well could you at least let me have my fun, then? Just because YOU don't want to doesn't mean I can't!"

The sound of falling bricks and loud splashing startled her, interrupting her impending rant, and we both turned to see that certain towers had started to collapse from the force and power of my ammunition. We happened to be a little too close to one, as I eventually found myself soaked.

"…we are getting out of here," I grunted, trying to ignore the fact that Rouge was stifling laughter. I turned up the speed on the Hover Vehicle as best I could and kept an eye out for the rendezvous point.

We traveled through a darkened tunnel filled with Egg Shooters, and we knew we were going to the right way. As I dispatched the mere obstacles, Rouge gained a thoughtful look.

"I wonder if Eggman somehow beat us to the rendezvous point…"

"It's possible, though I don't know how…unless he found out in advance after you took that…object but before I got you out of White Acropolis."

"Guess we'll find out when we get there!" Rouge called, jumping out of the vehicle and taking to the air as soon as we hit land. I scrambled out too and followed after her, but I couldn't exactly spread my wings and fly.

"Will you wait for me…?!"

She was already too high up, and I couldn't go very far to progress. However, by some stroke of luck, a huge bald eagle swooped in from overhead, and it was just low enough for me to grab onto…

"…at least it's no black alien or that cruddy glider," I susurrated, waiting for the right moment. When it was directly above me, I jumped up and grabbed its foot. It cawed out in protest, but it suddenly changed its flight path and followed in the direction Rouge took off to.

_I hate days like this._

The eagle eventually dropped me off on a roof, where Rouge was perched on the edge scooping the scene out. Evidently she found what we were looking for, because she started pointing excitedly off into the distance. I joined her side and saw where she was pointing at; I merely scowled.

"What a place to choose for an extraction point…"

"Said that already," Rouge stated, leaping off the roof and letting her wings catch the air.

The way forward was almost completely impossible for me to traverse, but by bounding from tower to tower, using ropes to work my way across, and having Rouge fly me across some of the longer jumps, I managed to make it. Everything was going well until two large orange lasers came zinging by us.

"Whoa!" Rouge shrieked, dropping me onto the ground as she herself fell out of the air. I got up quickly, finding one large mech in the middle of the platform surrounded by the usual mooks. Narrowing my eyes, I curled up and rolled into the smaller ones, knocking them into the water below with an electric shock.

"Ha! There's no strength in numbers!"

I found out what the mech thought about that when its lasers just barely soared over my head. It marched over to me, and I retaliated with a kick to the torso, but I glanced off of it with a pitiful-sounding clink. Falling back onto the ground, the mech readied another attack, but before it could hit me with it, it spontaneously exploded, with Rouge standing behind me and twirling a bomb on her finger.

"I'd really prefer if you didn't toy around with explosives like that."

"Oh, THAT'S how you treat a gal after she helped you out? I'll have to keep that inconsiderateness in mind," she crooned, putting the bomb away regardless.

_Why must I put up with this?!_

Grunting, I hurried up some nearby steps, each of them falling with every step I took. Working my way to the top, Rouge simply flew on ahead, while I was forced to grind on some gravity defying water.

_I have no explanation for it, either. It just _was_._

"We're getting close to the extraction point," Rouge called back to me.

"Marvelous," I murmured sarcastically, trying not to get dizzy with how much the water whipped its way around each and every tower up ahead. As soon as the trail of water ended, I landed on the ground exhausted, but Rouge flounced ahead like it was no big deal. Aside from a few robots in our way, there wasn't much of a sign of anything…

"Please tell me we're not too far…" I grimaced.

"We're not too far…" she smirked at me, jabbing a thumb over her shoulder. "…because we're finally there."

_Thank Chaos._

. . .

The rendezvous point was inside one of the many towers, but this one had three stained glass windows instead of just one. It created such a strange sense of ambiance…but I really just wanted to do this trade off and go home.

"The former king of Soleanna used to reside in this castle," Rouge began, though I was already aware of that. What she said next caught me off guard though."…but a major accident occurred here ten years ago, and no one's lived here since. I hear a prototype energy engine failed, which caused the accident."

"Accident?!

"Yup!" she sang scathingly.

"…you knew that the whole time and only chose now to bring it up?" I inquired, and she just shrugged.

"It slipped my mind. I still don't know the exact details though." She then looked rather thoughtful. "I think the name of the plan was-"

"The Solaris Project."

The voice that finished belonged to a man, and I instantly felt my fangs flash as I looked up to greet out unwanted visitor. He descended from above in his latest hovering vehicle and continued his spiel.

"It was an ambitious project named after their eternal sun god."

Rouge's ears perked up with interest. "Doctor!"

"It's been a while, my dear Rouge," he began pleasantly enough, but he turned to me with more distaste. "…and of course, Shadow."

_Not happy to see you too, Eggman._

"Now, if you'd be so kind as to hand back the Scepter of Darkness you took from me…"

Eggman snapped his fingers as I glanced over to Rouge, noticing her grip tighten around the strange object in her arms. Before I could ask about it, we suddenly found ourselves surrounded by drones, on the ground and in the air, and escape was looking slim.

One of the robots fired a shot, with both Rouge and I leaping out of the way and ended up on opposite sides of the area. However, while I landed on my feet, Rouge took to the air to attempt an escape regardless. Eggman saw this instantly and pulled a lever from his cockpit, causing a metallic arm to extend out and punch Rouge out of the air while she wasn't paying attention.

"Nrgh…!"

Writhing in pain, Rouge not only let go of the Scepter but started spiraling out of the air, both her and the artifact plummeting toward the ground. From where I was, I'd only be fast enough to rescue one, and considering that the scepter left me with such an uneasy feeling and had a foreboding sense of bad luck, I went for Rouge.

_A double-edged decision, in hindsight…_

Sliding across the stone ground, I managed to catch Rouge safely in my arms, but the same couldn't be said for the scepter.

"NO…!" Eggman howled, pounding on his dashboard.

And the next thing we all knew, the scepter had hit the ground and completely shattered.

Upon impact with the ground, Eggman's robots suddenly froze up, sparking with blue and white electrical pulses. Rouge and I picked ourselves up off the ground and watched as it happened. I eventually walked over to that accursed scepter to see what had really occured…

_And it was a moment I would honestly come to regret. _

"Shadow!" Rouge cried, but I was stuck in place as the musty purple smoke billowed out of the crystal of the scepter. Then, a large shadowy thing took off toward the sky before swooping over Eggman's robots and destroying them without even making contact.

"It's no use!" Eggman bellowed, hitting reverse on his machine and high tailing it out of there. "Pull back, pull back, PULL BACK!"

He was long gone before Rouge or I could question him, and the shadowy creature had taken back to the sky. I had only looked up at it for a moment before it suddenly came plunging down at me. I stepped back, while also pushing Rouge out of the way, only for the creature to plunge into the ground…and landing right on my shadow.

We watched as my shadow suddenly took a life of its own, and it was horrifying to watch. It peeled itself off the ground with the purple smoke, until something solid finally took shape…

…something that looked painstakingly like me.

"What? His shadow…" Rouge whispered.

It was like looking into a faded mirror; the thing was exactly like me in size, shape, and stature…but, instead of black and red, he was navy blue and green…and where my red eyes would have been, there were green irises with slits for pupils…and there was no mouth on his face, which made his subsequent evil laugh that much more unsettling.

"Oh, how ironic fate can be…" he simpered with a deep and menacing voice laced with untainted malice. "I would never have believed I would be resurrected through _your_ shade…! I _thank_ you, Shadow the Hedgehog."

He bowed at me, but I wasn't feeling very pleased about it. Actually, I was feeling pretty sick.

"Who are you?" I demanded immediately. "How do you know my name?"

_Just what I need- to be put right in the dark again…_

He was limp when he approached me, walking like a zombie or some sort of string less puppet…regardless, he trudged over to me, and even without posture he managed to make my quills stand on end.

"I'm Mephiles…Mephiles the Dark."

He didn't even look up when he addressed me, instead keeping his soulless stare at the ground.

"What, did you forget me?" Mephiles asked after a dark silence, and I felt myself tense up. I instinctively took a step back, but he insisted on getting closer, and I could feel my stomatching churning and rendering me naseous. "I owe much to you, Shadow…"

His deadly green gaze finally rolled up to meet mine, and my breath caught in my throat, haunted by what was looking up at me.

"Oh yes…" he continued slowly, raising his hand. I scrambled away and darted in front of Rouge, not talking my eyes off of this abomination for a second. Some strange blue energy started to build up in the palm of his hand, and his gaze shifted to look at me again.

"What you gave to me, I now give back to you…"

The power in his hand suddenly rose above his head, enveloping the entire area.

"…A one-way ticket to _oblivion_!"

Suddenly WE were enveloped in the blue expanse, with Rouge yelping and shielding her eyes. I tried to keep mine open; tried to keep them locked on the monster who was doing this to us…but he along with the world around us faded out of sight, replaced with a place that was far more sinister…

And Mephiles ended up coming with us too.

Mephiles…how could something like him crawl out of the recesses of the Scepter of Darkness…and claim to know me? I had one hundred percent of my memories back, and yet this sickly lookalike of my own didn't appear in any of my recollections…

But was there really something I'd forgotten? Something I should've remembered but didn't?

Here I thought I had all my memories back…but with this Mephiles character…

_It was appropriate to say I was in the shadow of a doubt._

* * *

***woop title drop***

**So now all three stories are about to _really_ get started, thank goodness! Just...conversely, I'm busy the next three weeks or so, so the schedule gets a little shaken up. But I assure you, I've had it all planned out in advance so nothing is out of sequence. ^^ **


	3. The Day After Tomorrow

In the Shadow of a Doubt

Chapter 3: The Day After Tomorrow

When we finally landed and reached our abrupt destination, I couldn't help but feel that we were still in Soleanna, but the world around us was _drastically_ different. Everything looked devastated; the clouds in the sky were stained a dusty brown, any structures or buildings were ruined and faded, and it was quiet…with only the sound of the dying winds to be heard.

_Creepy._

"What IS this place?" Rouge asked, looking out a broken window at a desolate city in the distance.

"It seems we've been teleported to another location," I deduced, joining her side.

"Well, let's find out where we are then!"

She practically skipped off with excitement; I didn't exactly share the same sentiments. Mephiles has tossed us somewhere new, yet I couldn't shake the feeling that I'd been there before…the familiarity was too recent…

I lagged behind Rouge, staring out over the horizon and contemplating everything that had happened in those few mere moments alone. It only took a few minutes for everything to be turned completely upside down…

Mephiles…who _is _he?

_Why does he know me…why did he do this to us…and what exactly is he planning?_

Guess I wasn't heading straight back home now.

. . .

When I caught up with Rouge, it appeared that her instincts had led her into a secret room of sorts, with a large computer surrounded by steels walls. I had uneasy de ja vu of Eggman's supercomputer in White Acropolis, but the similarity went right over Rouge's head as she typed away on the computer, trying to crack into any information at all that would be helpful to us.

"I'm in, and I've pinpointed our location," Rouge informed me as a picture on the screen started to take shape. As I stepped closer to get a better look, Rouge managed to get the gist of it faster than I did and started to recoil. "It's…NO! That's not possible! We're still in the Doctor's base? But how can that be? We were in Kingdom Valley!"

Her eyes went wide and panicked as page after page of information scrolled passed us, indeed informing us of our location. However, the location wasn't exactly the most glaring problem…

…it was the _date_.

"…well, there's no doubt now," Rouge murmured, gesturing to the screen.

"So it's not where we are…" I trailed, feeling my quills bristle. "...it's _when_."

Rouge instantly started typing frantically at the computer, and she tried to remain calm and mask the impending panic. What had happened to us…she didn't want to believe it was true. Still, the information on the computer was serving as the only explanation for the weird landscape, and Rouge eventually gasped and covered her mouth.

"It appears we've gone through time, doesn't it?" I asked quietly. Rouge removed her hand from her mouth, her gaze steadfast on the screen.

"Yes…approximately two hundred years." She nearly winced when she said it out loud. "Maybe even more, depending on when this database was last updated…"

Neither of us wanted to process what exactly that meant for us…but at the forefront of my mind was that Mephiles had did this…which only served to raise _more_ questions about him…!

In my simmering fury, it was then that I noticed Rouge was clearly shaken, silently gaping at the monitor with disbelief. She was sweating slightly, and even trembling a bit.

"Are…you okay?"

She shook her head and bit her lip.

"Two hundred years…" she whispered under her breath, grabbing her arm with the opposite hand and squeezing. "That's a lot of time…that's a_ long_ time to be displaced…"

Rouge turned to me with hope in her eyes, teal irises shimmering.

"You can…get us back, right?"

_I hated to crush that hope._

"Not on my own," I responded heavily. "We don't even have a Chaos Emerald. The most I can do is warp short distances and cause a time break…and even with one Chaos Emerald, we couldn't travel very far through time _or_ space…it would take another person AND another emerald entirely if we were to go back two whole centuries."

_Though somehow _Mephiles_ managed to do it on his lonesome._

The hope died from her eyes quickly, and I frowned. I hated being the bearer of bad news, but I was only being realistic. By myself, and without an emerald no less, there was really nothing I could do- even _I_ had my limits. And even if we did find two Chaos Emeralds by some miracle…Rouge couldn't cause a Chaos Control, and as far as I could tell,_ we_ were the only people around in this barren future…

_So we were stuck indefinitely._

"Well, at least we know we're in the future. It's amazing that the doctor's computer even still works after all this time," she laughed dryly. "That means this Mephiles character can control time."

"His power does feel very similar to my own Chaos Control," I realized, glancing down at my hand and clenching it. "But does that mean…that he got his time warping powers from me? Or did he have them already, and they were made stronger by taking the form of my shadow?"

Rouge was lost for an answer, and I just wanted some sort of confirmation on my thoughts and theories. It was like being an amnesiac all over again; being so completely out of the loop, so starved for answers, so _confused_…and I knew first hand that having so many answerless questions could push a person to the limits of their sanity. And Mephiles had brought this all on again…

"Why'd he have to send us to this bleak future?" Rouge huffed, her fangs chattering as she interrupted my thought. "What was wrong with going to the past?"

"He probably wanted us here, for whatever reason," I mused, starting to head for the door. "…but I promise you that I will not rest until I get to the bottom of what that Mephiles wants…"

Rouge looked on after me with concern, but not wanting to be left in the creepy future version of the doctor's base, she hurried on after me.

. . .

Sure enough, after a thorough search of the area, it was clear that we were in Doctor Eggman's base in White Acropolis…though it wasn't really white anymore. Rouge was still visibly concerned that we'd be stuck here without a way to warp back, and I was feeling pretty useless myself. What was the point of having any powers at all if they weren't going to help me get out of the situation?

"I remember this room!" Rouge suddenly cried, prying one of the doors open and rushing through a hall. "This is where Eggman was keeping the Scepter of Darkness…"

When we entered the main room, we were in a secluded area toward the top, though thanks to the decayed walls and broken glass, it wasn't so secluded anymore. Old control panels and screens decorated the walls behind us, which concerned me, along with the large machine that was in the middle of the room below us…

"Clearly Eggman had something cooked up," I deduced. "Do you think this bleak future is a result of that?"

"Well, considering that he needed the Scepter of Darkness, and therefore Mephiles, for whatever he needed…no," Rouge hummed, staring down at the machine below us. "Still, I find it rather depressing that this is the fate in store for the world…and after all we've done to protect it back in our own time."

"…there was only so long we could fight, you know," I stated quietly. "We're displaced by two hundred years; our time came and went decades and decades ago."

Rouge didn't like to think about that, although a particular thought must've crossed her mind, and her gaze rolled over to me again.

"But Shadow…you're immune from aging. The rest of the heroes, and even myself, may be gone…but what about you? Is it possible that you're still around in this future?"

I folded my arms and closed my eyes. "…It's certainly possible."

Her eyes lit up as she clasped her hands together. "Then that's it! That's our way home!"

"Uh, what-?"

"All we have to do is find two Chaos Emeralds, find the future you, and cause a Chaos Control! It's perfect!"

_No it's not! _

"There are SO many snags in that plan-"

"This is _great_! Future Shadow probably already HAS two emeralds!" Rouge squealed, and I had to snap my fingers in front of her to get her attention back.

"Rouge, you can't rely on that plan alone to save us. First and foremost, we don't even know if I really _am_ still around and two, even if I _was_, I might not even be in the area. I could be anywhere in the world right now."

"SUCH a killjoy-!"

"No I'm not!" I shouted, starting to glow red. She recoiled instantly. "For heaven's sake, I'm being realistic! I'm not trying to shoot down your hope, but the odds of that being possible are so incredibly low! And supposing that Future Me IS here, we'd have to search the entire world for two emeralds! And even if Future Me just so happens to HAVE two emeralds, interacting with me from a different time could produce disastrous results! Simply_ seeing_ me could cause some chaotic time rift, let alone willingly INITIATING one!"

I regretted biting back at Rouge; she was only trying to keep our spirits up, but we couldn't go forward with such a plan when there were so many places it could fail…!

"I was just trying to help get us out of here…"

"I know, and I'm sorry, but that's just too unrealistic! Even for us!" I exclaimed, grabbing my quills as my aura faded away. "And it's not like an alternative answer is just going to plunge out of the sky from thin air! It's just not!"

Rouge had completely given up at this point, falling to the ground and resting her back against the wall. The setting and the pose sort of reminded me of how I found her when she was trapped in the vault back on Prison Island…and she seemed like she had given up now just as much as she had then.

I wished there was something I could do to get us out of this mess, but there just _wasn't_…

And then there was the purple light.

Three very distinct screams followed afterward, with Rouge and I scrambling to the edge of the window to see what was happening. Three figures had dropped out of thin air from above, and upon discovering _who_ they were, I swear Rouge was going to _die_ with relief while I was trying to wrap my head around the implications.

Tails and especially Knuckles had landed smack on their heads, flopping onto the ground and rubbing their craniums gingerly, but for once, Sonic had landed on his feet in a crouching position, almost as if he anticipated it.

"Boy do I feel dizzy…!" Tails sputtered, his eyes spiraling around in their sockets. He remained on the ground gathering his bearings as Sonic and Knuckles stood up, with the red echidna still rubbing his head. "Where ARE we?"

Rouge and I peered over the edge, with me in complete disbelief.

_I totally tempted fate…_

I wanted to see how long it would take for them to realize we were here, but Rouge, overflowing with reprieve, pushed ahead of me and started waving at them.

"Oh, look who's here! I didn't expect to see _you_ boys," she gushed. The trio turned to face us at long last, and all of them were completely stunned to varying degrees.

"Rouge! Shadow!" Tails exclaimed, clearly beside himself. Rouge just beamed and waved again.

"Hi! Long time no see!"

Before Rouge could get reacquainted with them, I jumped down, eyeing the trio curiously. This was way too good to be true, and it we didn't approach this with care, who knew what would happen…

"Now hold on. Before we get everything sorted out, I have to know…what day were you guys in White Acropolis?"

Rouge flew down next to me, but she looked completely confused, as did Knuckles.

"How did you know we were-"

"We're in the Doctor's base right now," I explained, trying to keep my tone even. "And since you arrived in here via this machine, I assume that's where _you_ were before ending up_ here_."

"But if we were there when we ended up here, would we not have left at all…?" Knuckles trailed, his eyes going cross-eyed. "Whaaaat?!"

Sonic coughed and stepped forward, holding out his hand.

"We were in Eggman's base two days after the Festival of the Sun…and, uh, it was a year after you defeated the Black Arms too," he explained, wanting to get straight to the explanation of everything. I was actually relieved with what he said, and I let my guard down a little.

"That's good. That's the same day we were brought here, so essentially we're on the same timeline, which means we won't cause any paradoxes or problems if we tell each other anything."

"Timeline? Paradoxes?" Tails inquired, scratching his ear.

"I'm so lost…" Knuckles moaned, grabbing his head again for a different reason. Rouge glided over and put a hand on his shoulder with a ghost of a sad look adorning her face.

"Don't worry sweetie; we'll go outside and show you just what we mean," she hummed. "It's just that…none of you are really going to like it."

Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles all cringed and exchanged a look; I just started to lead them out of the base. We couldn't avert out eyes to the truth, after all…

. . .

When we brought them outside, Rouge frowned at the sight of devastation again, and while Tails and Knuckles were incredibly bothered, none seemed to take it harder than Sonic.

"What…what happened here?!" His voice cracked, utterly floored at what he saw. I was about to elaborate more when suddenly I felt Knuckles' heavy hands thunk down on my shoulders.

"What's going on?!" he yelled in a frenzy, throttling me like a ragdoll. Grimacing, I gently shoved him away from me and folded my arms.

"We've all been sent over two hundred years into the future," I explained bluntly. "Surprisingly enough, the computer in Eggman's base still works, and it has confirmed both our location…and the date."

"But this…? This doesn't look like White Acropolis at all!" shouted Sonic. "All the snow is gone, and the trees are gone…"

"It's like it was all melted and burned away…" Tails whimpered. "All that's left is dust, dirt, and ashes…"

"Insane…" was all Knuckles could utter. Rouge strutted next to him with her arms folded behind her back.

"It's definitely doesn't make me look forward to the future, that's for sure," she commented.

Sonic was still staring out over the edge, gazing at the city that I could only probably guess was the remains of Soleanna New City…but now the remains were husks of buildings, all but burned, charred, and crumbled away…

And I could tell it hit Sonic hard.

"Is this truly the destiny in store for the world…?" I heard him mutter under his breath, hanging his head as he curled his hand into a fist. "Has everything I've done in the past...to keep the world safe and on track for a bright future…was it for nothing? Was it _wrong_?"

I wanted to ask what was on his mind, since there seemed to be a cloud of despair hanging over his head, but with Tails, Knuckles, and Rouge around, I wasn't sure if he'd be as open to tell me. Still, standing around moping about the fate of the world and our own fate wasn't going to help us any, and with Tails stunned, Knuckles clueless, Rouge distressed, and Sonic in some self-induced funk, it was up to me to pull everyone together and get us out of here.

"Like it or not, this IS the distant future, far removed from our own timeline," I stated sternly, walking into the middle of the group to get everyone's attention.

"The future…" Tails trailed, something clicking in his head while he whirled around to face me. "…then that means Eggman's machine really CAN control time!"

Sonic, still gazing harshly at the ruined city in the distance, eventually turned around and punched the air.

"Eggman's got SOME nerve dropping us here…!"

Knuckles was taking being "dropped in the future" the best though, kicking a rock around as he paced in thought.

"Now, how do we get back to our own time?"

Rouge had opened her mouth to speak her crazy theory about "Future Shadow", but I silenced her on the spot, as fate had gifted us with a far better, if somewhat more annoying, solution.

"We'll need a space-time rift, but this requires a LOT of energy," I tried to stress my point as best I could so all could understand just how important it was. Thankfully, Sonic caught the meaning before the others, as he was just the person I needed to get it to click.

"I see…" he trailed, his stress evaporating with the grin appearing on his face. "You mean using your Chaos Control will-"

"_Yes_," I hissed, apparently too early in my judgment. I fiercely pointed in Sonic's direction, narrowing my eyes. "…but that_ alone_ is insufficient!"

_I _just_ finished explaining that to Rouge…_

Rouge, Knuckles, and Tails all turned to Sonic, who was processing the claim in his mind. Eventually he grinned again, but it was that cheesy smile that grated on my nerves and also meant that I was in for a headache.

_But at least he wasn't as bummed anymore._

"…we're going to need two Chaos Emeralds," I continued, taking charge again. "Once we get those, Sonic and I should be able to utilize a Chaos Control, open a time rift, and return to the day when we left."

"I don't know if that'll work," Tails interrupted, and I widened my eyes in surprise. "…Sonic's only been able to tap into the spatial properties of Chaos Control, not the temporal…"

…_I actually forgot about that._

"Well, there's a first time for everything!" Sonic exclaimed brightly.

"Not with this kind of thing!" Knuckles interrupted, clenching his fists. "If you go blindly into this, you could warp us even farther to the future, or drop us in a volcano, or simply, oh I don't know…KILL US?"

"Always a skeptic," murmured Rouge, though I had a feeling she wasn't _just_ talking about Knuckles.

"Calm down; with me on the other end, there's no way anything can go wrong," I insisted, turning in Sonic's direction. "After all, I'm not surprised that Sonic's skills aren't…_polished_, so to speak."

He stuck out his tongue and pulled his eyelid down at me. So mature…

"There's always Plan B!" Rouge pointed out briskly and excitedly. Tails and Knuckles raised curious eyebrows as I shook my head at her. There was no _way_ I was going to let her spew that theory to them, and eventually she backed down.

Thankfully, Sonic didn't even question the potential alternate plan. He just tossed his quills over his shoulder and flashed a thumbs up. "Okay, Shadow. It looks like we need to work together!"

_Not that I have much of a choice…_

I nodded in his direction, with Rouge leaping between Knuckles and Tails and draping her arms over their shoulders.

"I'm so excited that we'll be working together again, Knuckie," she crooned, and Knuckles instantly flushed. "It's been so long since we've been side by side…but I'll bet that I can find a Chaos Emerald before YOU do."

"You'll do WHAT now?!" Knuckles exclaimed, swatting Rouge away and balling up his fists. Rouge returned back to the ground and shrugged flirtatiously.

"Well, we both know that between the two of us, I'M the better treasure hunter, so it's natural that I'd assume I would find a Chaos Emerald first!"

"Guys, we're supposed to be on the same side," Tails interrupted, until he caught sight of Rouge's communicator. "Whoa, Rouge, what happened to your screen?!"

Rouge turned away from Knuckles and glanced at her wrist.

"Oh, this? One of Eggman's rusty old clunkers broke it while I was in his base…er, in the past. …or would that still be the present?"

"I guess being in the present is relative," commented Sonic with a smirk as Knuckles was struck by confusion again. Tails approached Rouge and simply lifted up her watch where he could see.

"It just needs a new screen; a relatively simple replacement," Tails commented, pulling out a spare screen from seemingly nowhere.

"You carry things like that around with you…?" I asked with disbelief. Tails shrugged as he began the repairs.

"You never know when something like this'll happen. Gotta be prepared!"

_Yeah, but I think that falls into the "overly prepared" category._

Once Rouge had a functional communicator again, I suggested that we start heading out into the city.

"We'll cover more ground if we split up," Sonic stated, gesturing to Tails and Knuckles. "This place is huge, and we don't even know for sure if there's an emerald in that ruined place…"

"Too bad _someone_ gave away the only one we had," sang Knuckles, before getting angry again. "Oh THAT'S right; we wouldn't be in this mess if _you_ didn't hand it over…!"

Sonic cast his glance away with a slight frown. "…still, it's going to be tricky to get our hands on another."

"Can't hurt to try, darling," Rouge commented, already flying off. She did turn around to wave at Knuckles though. "Until we meet again…and I know I'LL have one of those beautiful jewels in MY possession!"

I dragged Rouge off as Sonic and Tails pulled Knuckles in the other direction, right before either of them could start a fight…or, you know, anything less desirable.

. . .

Sonic had ripped off a piece of sheet metal and used it as a makeshift street board, saluting Rouge and I goodbye as he and his crew careened off into a separate path than us. I watched them leave with a head shake, just as Rouge flounced over to me and gave me a nudge.

"Hey, if they want to travel in style, then so can we!" she exclaimed, gesturing over to a long discarded vehicle on the other side of the broken building we were standing on. I stepped over to it and knocked on it to make sure it wouldn't break.

"This is a GUN Buggy…there's no way that this can still work," I remarked. Rouge hopped into the passenger's seat regardless and turned the key that just so happened to be in the ignition. The engine roared to life, and Rouge gave me a coy smirk and I climbed into the driver's seat.

"Why can't we just go on foot…?"

"You're a GUN Agent now; you have to rely on the tech!" she exclaimed, reaching into the glove compartment and fishing out a pair of time-worn sunglasses. She slid them over her face and beamed at me, and I just sighed and climbed into the driver's seat.

_The serendipity is ridiculous._

"This thing is so slow…!" I griped, the tilt of the building being the only thing to give us speed.

"Yes, but it's the only way we can attack those fire monsters without burning ourselves," she pointed out, demonstrating by hitting the button for the launchers. The whole buggy shook when it fired, though the attack hit the fire worms ahead of us dead on. Still, I wasn't buying it.

"I'd rather take my chances with the fire. I did make it through the Lava Shelter, after all."

Rouge rolled her eyes behind the sunglasses and folded her arms in her seat. Grunting, I stepped on the gas and thrust the steering wheel forward. If I was going to be stuck with this clunky thing, I was going to get rid of it as soon as possible.

It was a horrendously bumpy ride, but it served to get us over the very rugged terrain more efficiently than I thought, though I still didn't like getting tossed about in my seat every three seconds. Rouge tried to turn the radio on at one point, but I swatted her hand away.

"Don't you think the sunglasses are enough? We don't need any music, and besides, I doubt that there's a radio station anywhere around here!"

"Well _maybe_ there's a CD!" Rouge suggested. I gave her the blankest look I could muster. "…this place is depressing! I just thought a few tunes would brighten things up!"

I pinched the bridge of my nose and sighed.

_What am I going to do with her?_

I was prepared to retaliate with what I really thought, but shattering glass and a dozen explosions suddenly burst everywhere, and I now found myself jerking the buggy around to avoid it all.

"Now we're talking!" I exclaimed, with Rouge going bug-eyed at me. The buggy jerked forward, causing Rouge to grab onto the back of her seat. I tore through the debris and just narrowly avoided the detonations. I had no idea what was causing them, but they weren't going to get me today!

"Sorry Rouge, I think we're going to have the ditch the buggy."

She tore off her sunglasses and scrambled out just as it tipped, with me springing up and over to a grind rail as our sad little method of transport toppled over the edge. Flying in the air, Rouge cringed as she watched the buggy drop into the lava below, but she was quick to return to my side.

"So, what do we do now?" she asked as I grinded through a burning building.

"Try not to die as we get a Chaos Emerald," I murmured.

We were lucky enough that Team Sonic had showed up, no matter how impossible it seemed to be, but they did, and now we could use that to our advantage. They said they had been thrown forward in time by a time machine Eggman had, but there was still something nagging me about it all; something that I didn't know….

_And I figured that Sonic had the answer._

Something had disturbed him greatly at the sight of Crisis City, and it wasn't just all the destruction. Something else was going on, and my simple curiosity was taking over.

_The Chaos Emerald had to come first, though. _

Rouge then flew ahead and pulled out her heart bombs, hurling them consecutively as monster after monster crawling out of the crevices of debris. Some were hideous fire worms while others were flaming birds that swooped from above. Rouge's bombs weren't doing so terribly well, so I activated my jet shoes and rushed forward.

"You're in my way!" I cried, delivering a kick straight through one of the fire worms. The flames danced up my leg, but I smacked them out before they could cause any damage. The fire birds were still circling overhead, which must've annoyed Rouge, because it drove her to take to the air and kick them out with her Tornado Spin. When she landed again, she examined her boot to make sure they weren't scorched, then she gave me a thumbs up.

_Oh boy._

"I absolutely hate this place," she complained, hovered just above the as she checked herself over. "This heat is not doing any favors for my fur or my complexion."

"At least your fur is ivory- how do think I feel?!" I shot back, gesturing to my black fur. She huffed and folded her arms.

"Yes, but you don't care how you look! I'm a girl! I_ have_ to worry!"

"That's so stereotypical you have no idea," I countered, skating on. Rouge fanned herself for some time before flying after me. We whisked around the jacked up streets before heading onto a grind rail, watching the ruined city pass us by below. It was much faster to take the rails than work our way against the destructed streets and lava monsters, but they could only last for so long.

Eventually we ended up at the remains of a cylindrical building, with monsters adorning the path around it. They spewed fire at us, but I simply jumped through it with a Chaos Spear at the ready.

"Outta my way!"

A fire worm crawled out of the ground and roared at me; I launched a spear straight through its mouth and destroyed it on the spot. Rouge landed by me and threw a bomb into another one. It swallowed it whole, only to detonate a few mere moments later.

"These things aren't so tough," she chuckled, winking at me.

"Perhaps, but we don't have the time to take all these things down. They just keep respawning anyway," I stated, bounding off a spring and taking to a grind rail again. "We should try to stay on the rails with all the roads out."

"Whatever you say, hon," Rouge shrugged, following me to the grind rail. We circled around several buildings with orange sparks flying out behind us. Jumping off, we then maneuvered a particularly ruined building complex, ricocheting off springs and bounding our way up charred walls. At one point we even crashed through a window, with Rouge double checking herself to make sure she wasn't cut.

_Because she's just so_ fragile_, you know._

More and more monsters kept getting in our way, so I threw my hands up and started homing attacking all of them, sending them straight down to the lake of lava below. I was moving fast enough that the flames weren't harming me, but Rouge was flying around trying to avoid the fire birds I knocked in her direction.

"Watch where you're discarding those!"

"Sorry," I huffed, stepping on the tail of a lava lizard before kicking him off the side. "I'm so fed up with these things! Where do they even keep coming from!?"

"I dunno, but you're the one that said we should try to avoid them," Rouge pointed out with wagging finger in the air.

"That was before they started amassing in our way!"

Before Rouge could counter, we both suddenly felt the wind pick up violently, one so strong that the windows in the buildings around us burst instantly. I was trying to figure out what the source of it was, but Rouge suddenly yelped and found herself stuck in the air.

"H-Hey, I can't fly against this…!" she stammered, the wind whooshing and sweeping her away. "Hey, HEY…!"

She wailed into the roaring wind as she was ripped away, and I realized just what was happening as soon as she took off.

_We were in the middle of a tornado._

I ran after her, dodging the debris that was slowly being ripped away into the sky. Even the roads below us were being carried away in large chunks, and it was getting harder and harder to keep up with Rouge. My skates were useless, seeing as I couldn't skate if the path ahead was incoherent…

I then looked to my right and found a black and red hang glider in perfect condition laying on the ground.

"…and the coincidences _just_ keep piling up," I deadpanned, grabbing the hang glider and running the length of the road. When the road ran out, the wind caught the hang glider, and I found myself soaring through the tornado like Rouge was. I scanned the area for her, finding her tumbling about amongst the debris.

"Shadow!" she beckoned out to me, unable to get back down. I dodged several huge chunks of debris –among them was the top half of a building!- and veered my way over to her, getting close enough to extend my hand.

"You've got to reach for me!" I called, and she struggled to move her arm against the wind. I edged a little closer, and finally, we latched wrists. As soon as she was hanging on, I veered away again, pulling her out of the worst of it. The tornado managed to get us one last time, knocking the shoddy hang glider around and sending us spiral. I let go and told Rouge to fly, and as soon as we were out of the twister's range she soared haphazardly off, resulting in a bit of a crash landing. I fell onto a taxi and dented it while Rouge was slammed into a wall. She fell forward with an ungraceful scream and collapsed into a pile of crates. After working myself out of the taxi, I skated over to pull her out.

"Are you all right?" I asked, though her sudden windblown fur was more than enough of an answer.

_Don't laugh…don't even smile slightly…_

"I'm alive," she finally sighed, trying to smooth out her hair as she failed to notice my smirking. "What're the odds of a tornado?"

"The _odds_ are thrown out the window at this point; I've learned to stop questioning everything," I grumbled, shaking my head. Rouge just dusted herself off.

"Well, still, this twister is ridiculously strong if it's tearing buildings and roads into the air like paper!"

"Maybe the structures were just that weak from centuries of wear and tear," I suggested.

"You've always got a counterargument, huh?"

_Yes._

"I don't know how much more of this I can take," she winced. Looking behind us, I grimaced and grabbed her wrist, taking off.

"Yes, well, it's not over yet. Don't let your guard down."

She looked at me quizzically before taking a look over her shoulder herself. Trailing us now was what I could only describe as a fire whirlwind, standing in the middle of the pool of lava and throwing fire everywhere. Blanching, she silently turned around and faced forward.

"That's…unsettling."

"At least it's not chasing us," I pointed out, leading her over, under, and around any obstacles. Things were being thrown at us from all sides, monsters were popping up like it was going out of style, and I just wanted to find the darn Chaos Emerald and get out of this city!

"Shadow, I think a Chaos Emerald is in that direction!" Rouge suddenly, gesturing to an area that was crawling with lava lizards. I narrowed my eyes.

"Oh really? What makes you say that?"

"Treasure hunter intuition!" she exclaimed proudly, and I rolled my eyes. Regardless, I still my made my way over there, wasting no time and annihilating the lava lizards with a well-timed Chaos Blast. Rouge certainly knew to fly clear out of the way, but those filthy monsters didn't, and they really didn't know what hit them.

"I'm going up!" I called to Rouge, wall jumping up between some sketchy-looking buildings in order to get to higher ground. Rouge smirked and spread her wings, soaring right up along with me. Once we reached the top, I hoped on another grind rail…that was leading straight toward the fire tornado.

"Shadow, what are you doing!? You're headed right for it!"

"Isn't this the direction you said the Chaos Emerald was in?"

"Yes, and my treasure sense is going off the fritz…but you're headed straight for a _funnel of fire_!"

"Just watch this," I told her, Rouge balling up her fists and gritting her teeth afterward.

"I hate when you say that…"

I just trusted myself and rode the grind rail, which got dangerously close to the tornado, but I refused to bail, though I did wonder just how big that darn fire was. Rouge was exclaiming that we'd never get out, but I shushed her and kept working my way around it. The grind rail was ridiculously warped thanks to the heat, but it was still useable, and just as I told Rouge, we successfully made it to the other side of the tornado.

"See? Not even a challenge," I remarked, and Rouge just shook her head at me.

"We could have been barbequed, and you _still_ insisted on grinding around a tornado of fire-"

"You know, instead of reprimanding me for my actions…" I began, strolling over to a pile of mysteriously glowing rubble. "…maybe you should start praising yourself for your own."

I produced the green Chaos Emerald from the pile, demonstrating that Rouge's instinct had been right, and tossed it into her hands. She was stunned speechless for a moment, but once that symbol of hope was in her hands, I thought she couldn't be happier.

"Ah ha ha ha! My precious Chaos Emerald! So pretty…but then again, they're all so beautiful," she gushed. "Your mysterious brilliance, your charming glow…it's like me if I was a gorgeous gemstone!"

…Letting her have her moment, I took a harder look around the area, sensing something amiss. I mean, the whole city was amiss, but there was this feeling in the pit of stomach saying that something was dangerously out of place.

Shuffling through the rest of the rubble, I suddenly found it.

I stopped walking immediately, grabbing Rouge and halting her too. She asked me what the problem was, until she finally ripped her gaze from the shiny rock and gasped.

"Is that…Omega!?" she stammered, the both of us hurrying over to him. "What's HE doing here?!"

E-123 Omega was sitting under a building, dirty, dusty, and rusted with time and looking like he wasn't moving anytime soon. I immediately got behind him to try and see what the problem was, and attempted to fix him, but nothing I tried would get him to move.

"…it seems he's in standby mode," I finally declared after several minutes of fiddling.

Seeing our friend in such a horrendous state was hard for the both of us, and Rouge's joy at finding the emerald had completely evaporated and was replaced by grief. "What could have happened to create this future…?"

I just shook my head, for I didn't have an answer.

I found myself staring at Omega, in denial that the robot who had gotten me through some of the toughest times of my life had been reduced to_ this_, stuck in standby mode for whoever knew how long. There was a chance that I was still out and about in this future too, but if I was…why had I let Omega end up like _this_?

My thoughts were interrupted by Rouge's communicator going off,and she lifted her wrist and tapped the screen to accept the call.

"Yes, this is Rouge," she responded instantly, pleased for a distraction from Omega. I couldn't hear was being said on the other line, but it sounded important. "…understood. We'll be there in a minute."

She hung up and beamed at me hopefully.

"It looks like Sonic and his friends have found out something too, and they want us to meet at the outskirts of the city," Rouge explained. "We should go."

I still kept my gaze locked onto Omega. She smiled sadly at me and shrugged.

"…it's not like we can do anything for him now. As long as he's in a self-initiated stand by, there's nothing that anybody can do."

"…yeah," I replied hesitantly, still not wanting to leave him in such a condition. Frowning, I tried to clean him of his dust and dirt at the very least, but so much had been layered on that it would have taken a while. I knew there was really nothing I could do, but seeing Omega like that only served to agitate me, and I found myself wanting to know the whole story behind it all…

_Omega wasn't like any other robot- he had more heart and soul than your average person, and he was my best friend…_

Rouge grabbed my wrist, gave it a light squeeze, and led me away. It hurt her to do so as well, but this _was_ the future…

_Maybe there was still a chance that all of this wouldn't come to be. _


	4. Shadow of the Day

**SonicSonic54321: **Yes he does indeed! And the Iblis battle (which happens to be one of my favorite adapted fights) is the next chapter! ...just not next week. But juggling Sonic and Shadow actually wasn't the hard part- the hard part was keeping it interesting. :P

**werewolf lover99: **Thank you! I will do my best. :)

**Cf96: **I know! It officially gets super-awesome starting next chapter though. :D

* * *

In Shadow of a Doubt

Chapter 4: Shadow of the Day

Rouge and I had beaten Team Sonic to the rendezvous point, which only left us to wallow quietly in our thoughts about Omega. The last time we had seen him in the past was at GUN HQ, right before Rouge had departed for Soleanna in the first place, and then he had left for his own special task. I had no idea what he would've been up to while we were in the future, but I just hoped he was okay.

In any case, Sonic and his group were taking _way_ too long, _especially_ if they were coming back empty handed. We may have supposedly had "all the time in the world" In the future, but that didn't mean I wanted to stay here indefinitely. I had Mephiles to track, and any time not doing that would be considered wasted by me. Eventually the group sluggishly arrived like their shoes were filled with cement, and I had to admit that Rouge was happier to see them than I was, but her approach was a little…steely.

"You guys are so slow." She sauntered up to them shaking her head, the mere words alone visibly getting under Sonic's skin. "Just take a look!"

She then produced the green Chaos Emerald; a sight that turned Sonic's scowl into an impressed and very pleased nod. Knuckles didn't appear even half as amused, and I thought Tails was going to have a heart attack with the way he responded.

"A Chaos Emerald!" he squealed, circling around Rouge like a madman. "You've already found one?!"

"Well now, I may not look it, but I'm a real treasure hunter," she giggled, tapping Tails' nose with the gem. "…unlike a certain echidna I know."

Knuckles was apparently insulting Rouge with hand motions as she spoke –I'm not entirely sure where he was going with it myself- but as soon as he was brought up, he was suddenly up in her face. I took a step back from the inevitable.

_Those two were impossible. _

"What?!" I heard him scoff, followed by an irritated growl. "Heh…!"

"You don't even have a proper comeback_, do you_ Knuckie?" she taunted, flaunting our emerald around. "It's okay; I'd be speechless at the sight of me too!"

Even though Knuckles was turned around, I had a feeling that he didn't take to kindly to that, especially with the way Sonic was snickering off to the side. Seeing as all this dead end taunting was getting us absolutely nowhere and I hated it, I stepped in and tried to get us back on topic.

"Have you guys discovered _anything_?"

Sonic actually looked like he had something to say, but Tails had stepped forward before he could speak. He seemed relieved, but _I_ certainly wasn't going to let it go that easily. I made a mental note to question him about it later.

"Um, yeah," Tails began, putting up a virtual image from his watch and we all learned in to look at a diagram. "Now that there's nothing jamming my communicator, I picked up a signal indicating that there's a Chaos Emerald here, but…"

Tails fell silent as he pointed down the path, referring to a rather dark and dangerous looking area with lava pouring everywhere. I exchanged a look with Sonic as Rouge let out an exasperated sigh.

"You _mean_ we've got to go through _there_?"

"If you don't like it, you can stay here," Knuckles shot at her instantly, hitting her with a smug face. Rouge put her hands on her hips and glowered back.

"You've GOT to be kidding…who's the one that found the last emerald? Me? Not you? Oh THAT'S right," she replied scathingly, and Knuckles ended up punching a nearby tree.

_Yow. _

It was then that Sonic leaned towards me and pointing a finger in my direction, looking more serious than I expected out of him.

"Don't be late," he warned me. I narrowed my eyes and scowled at him.

_Oh, what? How _dare_ he lecture me on being late when_ I_ had reached the rendezvous first?!_

Not only that, but there was something about the situation that he was hiding, and I vowed that I would get to the bottom of it. But for now, I merely sneered in his direction, pushed his hand away, and stopped next to him to give him a warning of my own.

"Same to_ you_."

I then broke out into a full sprint, with Sonic and the others wasting no time in running on my heels.

. . .

I guess Sonic took a different route for the time being, which was fine by me- I didn't need his constant upbeat chattering serving as a distraction, and finding that Chaos Emerald had to come before anything else. Rouge seemed particularly eager herself, clapping her hands as she glided excitedly next to me.

"Ooh, let's find the emerald first! _That'll_ really get Knuckles riled up!" she exclaimed. "He's so cute when he's angry-"

"We're trying to get back to the past to avoid this terrible future and find out more about the guy who sent us here to begin with, and all you're concerned about is beating Knuckles to the emeralds."

Rouge gave me a_ long_ look, and I held up my hands.

"Fine, fine; I said too much…"

Clearly Rouge had a lot on her mind, between Knuckles, Omega, and being trapped in the future, so she eventually resorted to the soft comfort of the glow from our green Chaos Emerald, somehow its simple beauty making her feel better.

_There was plenty in this time period to make one upset, and she was just trying to keep her spirits up._

The way to what I liked to call the "Flame Core" was a vastly different scene from Crisis City, with its barren trees, rocky paths, and abundant lava everywhere, with a volcano in the distance…while it may have been ascetically more pleasant to behold, it was still part of the result of a very, very bad future.

I skated along the paths determined to find the emerald, even if not for the exact same reasons as Rouge. Apparently the fire monsters were also adamant about getting in our way, but I struck them down and carried on, refusing to encounter any detours. The paths were curving in on themselves drastically, but wasn't anything I hadn't dealt with before, after all. Rouge flew rather silently alongside me, and I didn't complain- at least she was focused.

_Almost too much so._

"Shadow, look at the volcano!" she cried abruptly, motioning toward the smoke that was billowing from the volcano in the distance. I looked at it curiously and frowned.

"The crust's energy is out of control…is it because of the Chaos Emerald?"

"No way," Rouge shot down instantly. "That's like saying the Chaos Emeralds have the power to break the world apart or put it back together."

"Well, they turn thoughts into power," I explained. "If someone thought it, the emerald could give them the power to make it happen."

Rouge blinked before biting her lip. "That's…actually a really scary thought."

"That's why it's so important to prevent the emeralds from falling into the wrong hands; I mean, look at what almost happened to the world when Black Doom had all seven emeralds!"

Rouge remembered it just as vividly as I did, though neither of us really wanted to recall what had gone down. It…wasn't exactly pleasant.

"I always thought that when the seven Chaos Emeralds were joined together, a miracle was supposed to happened," she said softly, her words cutting through our lull in conversation. "…I've yet to see that."

I raised an eyebrow. "Oh really? You don't think that those emeralds giving someone the unparalleled power to save the world from destruction is a miracle? The gift of power to stop a crashing ARK, to stop a rampaging robot overlord, to stop an alien invasion single handedly…all those aren't miracles?"

Rouge was quiet, glancing away. "In their own right, I suppose they are…they just weren't anything like I expected."

_To be fair, it wasn't anything like I expected either…and I had experienced it twice._

The volcano itself warranted investigating, so I planned to gradually make my way in that direction. Eventually these paths through molten rock would lead somewhere…

_If there was anything to lead _to_ in this future._

With the volcano shaking in the distance, it was only naturally to expect some fiery debris to falls on us- I just hadn't anticipated meteor-size fireballs coming down like some outrageous rain. Rouge was flipping around them expertly, and I was just lucky enough not to skate into any. They turned the way forward into a hazard zone, and combined with all the lava literally pouring out of the cliff walls-

"Things are really heating up!" Rouge exclaimed, with a midair pose and all. "…no? Too obvious?"

_At least she wasn't pointing out that a tornado was carrying a car._

I jumped across some sketchy platforms in the middle of the lava, dodging spires of fire that jetted out as I made my way across, aiming for the cliff that was on the other side. Leaping off a spring, I landed in a higher area with monsters galore who were sending a lot of fire in our direction. I just sneered and worked my way into the fray.

"Heh, you can't stop me!"

"Monsters like you can't make US hot under the collar!" Rouge cried, throwing a bomb into the mouth of a fire worm. I halted tossing a lizard over the edge of the cliff to gape at her.

"What's with these puns all of a sudden?!"

She merely shrugged. "I wanted to see if I could make a good one."

"Well, don't quit your day job…but feel free to quit your night one."

She hit me with an annoyed expression as I finished taking care of the monsters, ignoring the daggers she was glaring at me and found the way forward through a strange purple cave. Unlike the rest of the area, it appeared to be untouched from the lava, instead bearing magenta crystals along its walls that gave the place an otherworldly glow.

Rouge was_ all_ over it.

"Ooh, they're_ so_ pretty! That _shine_, that _shade_-!"

"That fact that they're totally stuck in the wall," I deadpanned, skating on. She pretty much ignored me, still insisting on tugging in the hopes that one would fall into her possession.

"Well, I'm not leaving without at least one of these beautiful things to call my own!"

"You've got a Chaos Emerald already- why do you need some weak old wall rock to add to your collection?"

"You wouldn't understand," she huffed, so I rolled my eyes, grabbed her wrist, and dragged her forcibly out of the cave. "Hey, HEY! I think I almost loosened it-!"

"Oh, stop," I huffed, bringing her over to the foot of a waterfall of lava. The rocks that jetted out of it looked far too unstable to use, and the fall itself was too wide to wall jump up. "I'm going to need you to fly me up there."

She acted faint in a melodramatic manner, and I resisted the urge to roll my eyes for the umpteenth time.

"Oh, my. Shadow's actually asking ME for help? Too bad no one's around to write this down."

_I wisely chose to keep my thoughts to myself. _

After she got over her "shock", we latched wrists and Rouge took off, flying right over the fall of lava with excruciating ease. There was barely a place to land on top, so I directly her to one of the platforms that was floating along the river. She seemed skeptical, but she put me down regardless, and I immediately jumped toward the next one, darting down the river in that fashion. When I finally reached solid ground, a few fire birds surrounding a lava-covered brute rested in my way, and I was so not in the mood to deal with them and their insisted annoyance.

"Out of my way or you're toast!" I warmed them, starting to glow red. The brute retaliated by creating a lava rock between its hands and throwing it at me. Rouge swooped in at the last moment and kicked it to smithereens, winking at me. "…very well; then death to all who oppose me!"

Rouge flipped into the air and out of range as I expelled a Chaos Blast, enveloping all the fire birds and disintegrating them on the spot. The brute seemed to withstand my Chaos Blast, and while Rouge's bombs afterward only served the remove a bit of its rocky armor, it still didn't appear like any damage was being done. It was too hot to attack directly, so I glowed yellow and charged up a Chaos Spear in my hand.

"I warned you!" I yelled, hurling my hand forward and throwing a golden arrow of energy straight at the monster. It hit him square in the chest, causing it to stumble around discombobulated. When it was right at the edge of the cliff, Rouge threw a bomb at it, which was the final nail in the coffin, as it proceeded to tumble off and sink into the lava below.

_You give them a chance to live and they never listen…_

It was then that a loud boom emerged from the volcano, and the ground started shaking even more violently. Rouge and I looked over at the volcano to see it billow twice the amount of smoke and beginning to release a few spouts of lava.

"It's erupting!" I called, picking up my speed. "Let's go!"

"Wait, we're going _toward_ the active volcano…?!" she exclaimed with disbelief, and I nodded intently.

"Yes- that's where I believe the Chaos Emerald is."

"So we're going into an active volcano?!"

"Rouge, aren't you always telling me to live a little?"

"Not by voluntarily plowing toward your death!"

Regardless of the protest, I grabbed her wrist and rushed down the path, eyeing a ramp up ahead that I could use. Rouge screamed out of anticipation, with volcanic ash decorating the air like snow. I leaned forward a bit as we neared the ramp, and once we took off over it, we soared through the air, aimed directly for the entrance to the volcano.

"We're so dead after this," Rouge winced, but I pretended not to hear her.

. . .

We landed in the volcano completely unscathed, and aside from its constant quaking and the ever-spawning horde of monsters, there wasn't anything that posed an immediate threat.

"Except that this volcano could completely blow its top at any moment and, um, kill us," Rouge pointed out.

"Then let's be quick about getting the emerald, then!"

The only place that was even safe to maneuver over was along the inner wall of the volcano, so I blazed a trail on through with Rouge tagging by my side, picking the one that was farthest away from the lava. We breezed on through without ever looking back, running on through rocky half pipes with columns of fire shooting up at us, and I refused to take the time to deal with any monsters we bypassed- they just weren't worth the trouble!

To increase our already ridiculous predicament, we located a grind rail of all things waiting for us up ahead. It was a neon purple color and conveniently bypassed some of the tougher terrain within the volcano. Although the origin of how it got there was completely beyond me, I still wasn't going to question it- as long my luck was shining through in small ways, I wasn't going to tamper with it.

"Let's go, Rouge," I called over the albino bat, who was looking around for another cave to try and swipe a rock from. But once she saw me hop onto the inexplicable grind rail and take off, she huffed and begrudgingly followed after me.

"At least it's not nearly as hot up here," she commented when she caught up with me, tugging on her gloves.

Now with a more efficient method of transport, Rouge and I grinded our way all around the volcano, making excellent time. I could almost sense the Chaos Emerald; it was somewhere around here, I knew that at the very least. When the grind rail came to an end, we found ourselves in a darkened area, with the only immunity to the blackness being these strange purple orbs that were floating just above the pool of lava. Rouge and I exchanged bewildered looks before I walked up to it, holding my hand out to it, but not touching it. It felt…almost transcendental, and also like I sensed something like it before.

"Huh," I murmured, pulling my hand away. "It's the same color as that time rift Mephiles opened up…"

"You think there's some sort of connection?" Rouge asked, eyeing the strange orb herself. Glaring at it a while longer, I curled my hand into a fist and slammed it straight into the orb. It shattered in pieces instantly, like it was frail and unstable to begin with. Huffing, I turned heel and skated on.

"Let's try not to worry about it- maybe it's just come weird coincidence caused by the Chaos Emerald," I susurrated, darting across the darkened lava pool. Rouge shrugged in response, as she couldn't make heads or tails of it either, and simply glided behind me. We were minding our own business trying to find the emerald when we heard voices coming at us, and when I was trying to figure out why someone of the future would waste time being in an active volcano…I remembered that it was exactly the sort of thing Sonic would completely be into.

Rouge pointed out that she saw something moving in the dark, and it did look a lot like Team Sonic, but they were frustrated at something and coming up fast and one of them was almost right on top of me-!

"Ugh, how are we even supposed to-"

"WATCH IT-!" I howled, only for whoever it was to barrel into me and send us both to the ground.

"Oomph!"

Before I could even sort out my own problems, I heard Rouge shriek followed by a deep and gruff grunt of pure pain, and the next thing we all knew was that someone had drew a bomb, lit the fuse, and began screaming like a psychopath.

"Dark monsters! Dark monsters!"

_Tails?!_

"It's us, you idiots!" I roared from the ground, furiously kicking the groaning form off my person. Turned out THAT was Sonic, and out of the corner of my eye I saw Knuckles scramming away from Rouge like a cat avoiding water.

"Getting frisky in the dark, eh echidna?" Rouge hummed playfully, and Knuckles stomped his foot hard enough to cause an earthquake.

"Slinking around in the dark seems to be more of_ your_ forte, huh Bat Girl?!"

"I see you still haven't found the emerald-"

"Well you haven't either!"

"Knock it _off_!" I shouted again, feeling myself beginning to glow with a red aura. Knuckles and Rouge flustered and turned away. I threw a glare at Tails and Sonic; they just tossed their hands up and practically surrendered to me.

_Ugh…_

Pinching the bridge of my nose, I attempted to bring some order to all the chaos. "…obviously the search for the Chaos Emerald had les us both to the same spot."

"Ahem, yes," Sonic agreed, trying to get back on track. "It really doesn't matter _who_ finds it, as long as we DO find it."

I nodded and folded my arms. "Exactly."

We were all a little bamboozled on what to do now, though Tails reoriented my focus when he walked up to me with a genuine question. He motioned towards one of the purple orbs and gave me a curious look.

"Say…you wouldn't happen to know what those things are made of, would you?"

"They actually feel familiar," I explained, putting my hand near one and feeling its power again. "It's like it's made of the same energy that brought Rouge and I here."

"The energy that brought you here…?" Knuckles wondered out loud, and I saw a light go on in his mind. "So the two large jumps in time…was the one that brought you here and the one that took Silver and Blaze to the past!"

Rouge started fanning herself again and she gave Knuckles a once over. "Who and who?"

I actually wanted to know myself, but Knuckles barreled into the conversation before anything could be explained. He leaned into Rouge and gave her a smug grin. "No one that concerns you, I assure."

They started puffing their cheeks, balling their fists, and glaring silently at each other, but I was tired of their squabbles going nowhere and found myself watching Sonic and Tails.

I hadn't forgotten that they had obviously uncovered something more than just the emerald's location, but whatever it was, they were trying to avoid it at all costs, hence why Sonic was hesitant earlier and Tails had changed the subject. Those two were a dangerous combination when they were on the same wavelength in any situation…One could take one glance at the scene and have the whole situation analyzed, while the other could respond to any changes at a moment's notice, and it was a _deadly_ combo.

_Thankfully I rarely ever had to take them both on at once. _

I must've been focusing a little too hard, because Sonic's gaze met mine and he instinctively moved away. Blinking, I shook myself out of it and pointed ahead.

"Anyway, we're standing in the middle of a volcano. It's not exactly a place for idle chit chat, so let's get moving!"

_This had taken up a lot of time…_

"No need to tell me twice!" Sonic exclaimed, rushing to take the lead. I made a moaning noise as I followed after him, and Rouge, Tails, and Knuckles took up the back by flying. "Whew! Out at last!"

We came across a fall of lava again, and Rouge smirked coyly at me as she lifted me over it. She also threw a glance at Team Sonic as Tails carried them up, with only Knuckles seeming to notice by turning away abashedly. Sonic let out a whoop when we reached the top, gleefully at the sight of a grind rail. I ended up right behind him, and I must've been _really_ bugged by my musings because when he looked over his shoulder, he quirked an eyebrow.

"Dude, what's _up_? You've got that killer instinct look in your eyes and you're aiming it at _me_."

"There's something I need to ask you, hedgehog," I hummed, and his eyes darted away.

"I dunno, that last time you asked me a question, it resulted in me exposing deep dark secrets that we don't speak of."

"Hopefully it won't come that," I replied quickly, shaking my head. I _really_ didn't need to go prying that deep into Sonic's life again. I'd vowed that I had invaded enough. "No, this whole situation…I feel like I don't have the whole story, and that you've got the missing pieces to it."

He blinked and turned away from me, almost as if pondering what he should do. Tails was busy mediating Rouge and Knuckles' spat, so they were oblivious to Sonic and I.

"…fine, I'll fill you in," he said at last. "…but you'll have to tell me just how you ended up here to begin with."

I could agree with that. "Fair enough."

We finally got off the grind rail and began to finish the trek on foot, and Sonic had fell into step with me to start explaining. He barely got out his first breath before we were forced to stop.

"So much for carrying on," Sonic murmured distastefully. "There's no path forward!"

"Don't worry," Knuckles of all people boasted, stepping forward and raising up his hands. "I'll take care of it!"

"And you can leave everything to me!" Rouge added, making her way forward and beaming at Knuckles. "The way ahead may not exist for you guys, but Knuckles and I can find a way through easy."

Knuckles gave her the most incredulous look.

"You're crazy!" he insisted, gripping his head with a ludicrous amount of force. "One minute you're deriding me for being a failure of a treasure hunter, and now you're all willingly ready to try and work with me?"

"It's faster if there are two of us working at it," Rouge argued back, still smiling but now significantly more serious. "I'm willing to work with you, but that doesn't necessarily mean I'll like it."

"That's a lie," both Sonic and I quipped, and I found myself personally leaning out of range of Rouge's kick. When she backed off, she tossed her hair over her shoulder and grabbed Knuckles' hand.

"Come on, let's get this over with…besides, we need to _talk_."

Rouge stalked determinedly off, with Knuckles desperately reaching out for Sonic and Tails, who merely flashed cheesy grins in his direction and waved him off. I turned to the duo, quirking an eyebrow.

"You two are cold," I commented. "…I approve."

Sonic folded his arms and gave a surprisingly dark smirk. "Yes, well, he usually merely laughs at my misfortunes with Amy…so I guess I get to laugh last this time."

_And suddenly, I could tolerate Sonic just _that_ much more. _

**S-R**

I was actually going to offer up my services _waaaay_ before Knuckles did, but I don't know what snapped in him to cause him to jump up like that, but hey, I could take advantage of that. He was all stiff and hesitant, but sheesh- we only physically fought like, twice, and now certainly wasn't the time to attempt to give him a broken jaw.

"Quit being so insufferable," I huffed, letting him go as my wings flared out. He tore his wrist away from me and rubbed it as if I had an _actual_ grip on him- we both knew he could've knocked me out if he truly desired.

"You have no room to talk," he sneered back, and I opened my mouth to say something, though he cut me off. "But if we really have to figure this out together, then enough with the jabs. I'm sick of this future."

I was ready to chew out that stubborn echidna for all he was worth, but as Shadow so unceremoniously already reminded me, I'd done that enough today to last a lifetime. His stern yet honest tone seemed to seep into me, and eventually I dropped my guard slightly.

"All right, hon; I'm sick of this place too," I sighed, tossing my hand up. "The sad part is that this volcano is much easier on the eyes than the city and what's left of White Acropolis were."

"Yeah, well, coming to this volcano was Sonic's stupid idea, and it's a miracle we haven't burst into flames from this heat yet," he complained in a way that was almost cute.

"Actually, Shadow said that the Chaos Emerald was in this volcano, pinning it as the blame for its activity," I explained, flying higher to scope out the way ahead. "I don't know whether it's true or not, but something's definitely here- can you feel it?"

He shuffled away and grumbled something under his breath, but he nodded. "Yeah. I just didn't say anything earlier to avoid giving Sonic the satisfaction of being right."

_He has such an inferiority complex…_

I flew over the lava and motioned for him to follow. "Anyway, Knuckie, standing around here won't get us far. Let's get to it."

Knuckles grunted again- Chaos forbid he use his _words_\- and took to the air, gliding after me.

The ground was segmented into many pieces that were few and far between, hence why Sonic and Shadow were stuck, but there were also places that were high up, and we couldn't see what was up there and didn't know of the potential danger, which was why Tails couldn't just float up there. Knuckles and I could climb up and check instead of blindly soaring up there.

As usual, I was itching for conversation, but Knuckles never was, either too fed up at our situation or at my relentless taunting to bother putting up with me. At least he seemed to be easing up, so maybe speaking to him would be easier too.

_Flirting was easy- actually trying to talk was something completely different._

"Stop," he suddenly stated, landing in front of me and holding out his hands. "There are far too many enemies ahead. We'll have to take them out."

"Okay, I can hit them at range, but what are you going to do?" I asked, half scathing and half genuinely concerned. He demonstrated his answer when a fire worm shot out the ground and started shooting fireballs at us, running forward and kicking the ground. Even in the air, I could feel the rumble, and I watched with wide eyes as the ground cracked and the worm didn't know what hit him.

Especially since Knuckles pounded it right back_ into_ the ground.

I bit my lip- he was always so ridiculously strong, and with that overbearing strength, it probably took a lot of steel nerve to not whack just anyone over the head with those fists. Sonic, sure- he was practically a personal punching bag for Knuckles that would never hit back unless it went too far (especially since Sonic had a nack for catching punches), but me?

_I wondered if he even thought about that._

Watching him fight made me realize that I wasn't contributing much, and he was already macho enough just by _standing_, so I flew into the fray with my bombs at the ready, hurling them at a herd of fire birds. They were dispatched instantly, but the real problem was those creepy purple lizards. They didn't spew fire- oh no, they were special and got to fire lasers!

"I hate this future," I murmured, descending from the air and bringing my foot down on one's head. Another behind me was preparing a laser, so I rolled a bomb into its mouth and flew out of the way. Feeling proud of myself, I wondered if Knuckles had noticed, but he was preoccupied with two boulders in his hands that he used to crush the monster in front of him.

_That answered that._

While he was busy with that, something shiny had caught my eye from up above, so I started scaling the wall to see what potentially beauteous thing awaited me. However, when I got up there, I only found more monsters and a strange glowing orb. It was different from the one Shadow and I had encountered earlier; a different look, _and _different feel to it…

I gave it a light tap, and it suddenly started to glow, but it didn't appear to have much more significance than that. However, a rumbling went off in the distance, and I initially thought it was Knuckles being destructive again, but I could see another glow in the distance. It appeared to be on a door, with one glowing spot and one dull one.

"Now that's interesting," I pondered, but then it hit me. "Hey, Knuckles!"

I flipped off the cliff and flew back down to him, finding him surrounded by lava worms and lizards. Cringing, I instantly went against his back, watching his blind spot for him and knowing he was in mine.

"Oh, decided to come back didja?" he sneered, weighing his options carefully against his opponents. I huffed and tossed my hair back.

"Uh, no. I think I found out what we need to do to get out of here-"

"Jump!" Knuckles instructed me, so I took to the air as he thrust his fist into the ground, making it rumble as the monsters were all discombobulated. When I returned, I saw a fire bird was circling around us, so I told him to duck. He took to the ground as I swung my leg around in a circle, my heel colliding with the bird's head and taking it down.

"Nice," he told me, his eyes now locked onto a laser-firing lizard.

"Not bad yourself, hon," I returned, throwing a bomb forward at a rapidly approaching fire worm. "But then again, you never were."

I could sense the confusion radiate off of him as he slammed a fist onto the threatening lizard in front of him, then suddenly hooked his arms around mine and told me to kick out my legs. Now I was confused but I did as he asked, and he suddenly spun around with me on his back, kicking out at all the enemies still encircling us. I then rolled off his back and flipped into the air, counting only three more enemies to take care of.

"Listen, Knuckles, there's a door-"

"Can't it wait until we're done here?" he asked in a grunt, pushing a _laser _lizard away from him. I was prepared to retort, but a fire worm throwing balls of flame at me required my attention first.

"Enough!" I yelled, working my way into a tornado spin and drilling into the fire worm below. Knuckles and the lizard actually stopped to gawk. I had drilled the worm into submission, but there was still a bird and the fire lizard itself to deal with. Snarling, I drew a bomb and hurled it up, Knuckles and the lizard ducking promptly as it collided with the bird. The two exchanged a look before Knuckles darted out of the way, with me turning around and giving an uppercut kick to the lizard, then gripping it and sending it straight into the lava.

_Bet he noticed me _now_._

"Ra-Rouge?" he stammered, unsure of what just happened.

"No, listen!" I exclaimed, and his muzzle clamped shut. "While you were fighting, I found this weird orb thing that lit up when I touched it, and a door in the distance started to glow too…I think there's more of those and we need to find them."

"…it's probably a case of all the lights shining at once so the way will appear…"

"Yeah, that's basically what I was building up to," I murmured, grabbing my arm. "And it is pretty dark in here…"

"We've got nothing to worry about," Knuckles insisted, holding out his hand. "You can see well in the dark, and I've got the instinct for this kind of thing, so we'll be done in no time."

"…you're right," I said after a pause, simpering in his direction. "After all, we've got two great treasure hunters who can find the pieces of a scattered emerald, can't we?"

"Aaaand the deriding is gone again," Knuckles commented, turning heel and stalking off. Grimacing, I flew after him.

"Yes, well, at least I'm not lying this time."

"It doesn't matter." He continued to move away from me, almost as if he was just shrugging me off. "I refuse you let you use your mind games on me anymore."

_What?!_

"Uh, mind games?" I practically coughed, gaping at him. "What are you accusing me of now?"

"Because, just when you actually seem like a competent person that I don't mind talking to and doesn't grate on my nerves every minute, you're mean, and you yell, and it's unnecessary!" Knuckles exasperated with his arms raised dejectedly. "You're nice _now_, but as soon as we go back to the others, you'll just go back to your normal scathing self."

_I felt my heart snap._

Without a shred of soul or dignity he refused to face me when he spat out that harmful statement, instead taking care to hit one of those stupid, glowing orbs. I furrowed my brow and clenched my fists, flying without really meaning to and there was no way I was going to let him get away without a retort from me.

"I'm only mean and I yell because you never hear me otherwise! I don't even _like_ making a big deal out of everything, but it's the only way to get people to pay attention…"

_And I HATE it. _

I found myself shaking my head, recalling many painful times where I was forced to come off as some selfish jerk- and I _was_ admittedly selfish, but I'd never meant to be jerkish, _ever_.

"It's just like when I first met you- I was actually going to give it all up when I found that I was outmatched, as much as I wanted that emerald, but then you kept shouting over me and I got fed up and ended up chasing down the pieces anyway. And I couldn't even entirely do _that_."

I'd seen how much that emerald meant to Knuckles- sure, I could take any valuable diamonds or crowns from a museum, but no one was ever emotionally attached to those things. But the Master Emerald was pretty much all Knuckles knew and it was his life…and if I attempted to take that away from him –and he wasn't gung ho on tracking me down- what purpose would he have left?

_But after all I went through to get the pieces, it still hurt to just give it all up at the last minute. _

"So yeah, that's why I constantly taunt you, because that's the only way you'll talk to me," I started up again, watching as Knuckles just stared at me with a hardened look. "Even after Shadow had saved you from the explosion in Central City and I was the one that got you medical help, you wouldn't listen to me when I suggested you stay, and then I got mad-"

He cut me off as he started scaling a wall, and in my subdued blind fury I climbed after him. "Well that wasn't because of you; I told you and everyone that if I was going to be away from the Master Emerald, I wanted to do something to help, not sit around like a wounded dog."

I felt my ears sink in surprise- I hadn't been expecting that.

"And, uh, well, sorry if I'm not the best listener- I live on an island of solitude; I'm not exactly the best conversationalist, though I can listen when I know that I'm _supposed_ to. 'Sides, I don't care how much you compare yourself to those gems you love so much- you're not perfect. You have a knack for making yourself the center of attention, and that's pretty annoying too. I mean, I've gotta deal with Sonic for that- I don't need a girl version too!"

We made it to the top of the cliff, where Knuckles hit the next orb and I shuffled around uncomfortably.

"I know," I finally sputtered. My eyes flashed over to Knuckles, who looked overdramatically faint at that particular moment. I think I even caught him pinching himself.

_Jeez!_

"…Chaos, don't look so stunned," I scoffed, taking off over the edge of the cliff. "If it wasn't for Shadow, I wouldn't even be half as tolerable."

"What do you mean if it wasn't for Shadow?!" he demanded, following me to where the fourth orb was being guarded by a hideous hulk. A small smirk played on my expression as I drew out twin bombs and threw them at the monster.

"He told me that I should try being nicer," I elaborated, falling to the ground and kicking out my leg. I connected with the brute, sweeping its legs right out from under it and knocking it to the ground. When I punted it over the edge, I figured Knuckles would be amused…but not stifling laughter!

"'Mr. Unsmiley' himself told you that YOU need to be nicer," he sneered, and I realized he was snickering at Shadow and not me. I hit the fourth orb and stuck out my tongue.

"He's not some grump, Knuckie." I whirled to face him, perching my chin in my palm. "Shadow's a realist, never sugar coating anything, but never making it any worse than it needs to be…and trust me, he never lets me forget. It's practically forbidden for me to make a joke around him."

_Lord knows what happens when I try a pun…_

"Never stopped Sonic," I overheard Knuckles mumble, and it threw me into an unexpected fit of giggles. In the midst of my laughter, I caught Knuckles' face turning pink, but he cringed and look away from me before I could comment.

_Hmm, THAT'S interesting…_

"A-Anyway, any sign of that fifth orb?" He stumbled over his words, but I merely shrugged and let him off the hook this time, sauntering to the north.

"I can't see it, but I'd assume it's the closest to the door, so we can always make our way over there. And we have to remember how impatient Sonic and Shadow are; they're probably going stir crazy!"

I turned around to see him smirking a bit, but then he suddenly jumped and practically sank into the ground, burrowing a tunnel that was aimed for that fifth orb.

"So he wants to race, does he?" I simpered, spreading my wings and taking to the air, taking off at my top speed.

Sure, Knuckles could glide, but he couldn't go to extreme heights, couldn't go higher, or get the chance to fly in the freedom of sky with the wind beneath the wings he didn't have. He could have fun playing in the dirt, but dancing in the air was truly where it was at.

_Although the humidity was insane in the volcano…_

I reached the fifth orb first, and just as I went to touch it, Knuckles cropped up out of the ground beneath it, our eyes locking, and suddenly we both threw ourselves at that orb. It was fruitless to even try competing for it because we hit it at the same time, though the door in the distance started to shine and threw itself open. The way forward was finally clear, though when my eyes fell onto that cave, I got just a little_ too_ excited.

"Well what do you know?" I hummed, beginning to run for the newly revealed area. "There are more gems in that cave!"

I wasted no time in bounding into the bowels of the cavern, eagerly ogling the many beautiful crystals that adorned its walls. I instantly remembered Shadow reprimanding me for even attempting to claim one of the gems, but what did he know?

_Given some time, I could totally finagle one out!_

"Come on, come on! I'll show Shadow that I can get one…" I murmured to myself, that little spark of opposition driving me to get that gem out of the wall. I was so focused on trying to get it out that I didn't even notice Knuckles enter the area, nor did I catch him quietly observing me.

"You're putting all your effort into the wrong area."

I ceased my tugging at the sound of his voice and gaped at him, but he just remained perfectly placid and stood by the gem I wanted. He gestured to the base and started lecturing me.

"It's stuck from over here, and while that may be where it's sturdiest, it's also where it's most vulnerable."

I didn't entirely know where he was going with it, but I got a little nervous when he jammed his spur right beneath the base of the crystal I'd been eyeing. With a grunt and a tug, he managed to pop it out of its place on the wall, where it then fell delicately into his massive palms. When he turned around, he threw the crystal over to me, where it landed perfectly in my hands.

"Now come on. The others are waiting…probably impatiently."

He started waltzing away, but I found myself stuck to the spot, struck speechless by his unexpected act of kindness. I rarely ever treated him well, even if I was only teasing in the end, and he had absolutely no reason to give me the gem, let alone help me out with it…he should've kept it!

_I…didn't deserve his kindness._

That echidna was exceedingly gullible, but deep down, I knew that was because he wanted so much to believe in the good in people, and allowed himself to blindside the bad…it was why it was so easy to convince him of anything despite his stubbornness; he always gave everyone the benefit of the doubt.

_And maybe…that's why I liked him so much, because despite all my thievery and selfish ways, in the end he'd be willing to turn the other cheek to the worst of me and embrace the best if I gave him the chance._

My ears sagged a bit as I stared at the crystal…and eventually, I found myself calling out Knuckles' name.

He stopped instantly, almost going rigid, and he looked at me almost with worry, like I was upset or something…but I just smiled and met his amethyst gaze.

"Thank you."

He grabbed at his chest and nearly staggered forward, stumbling over something to say once again. I tried really hard not to burst out laughing at his overreaction, instead striding over to him with a coy grin.

"And, you know, I _do_ still owe you my life," I continued, my voice softening a bit. "I didn't exactly show that I was grateful at the time, but what you did for me didn't completely register until later. I haven't forgotten."

His smile was unexpectedly bright as he scratched his neck, trying to downplay everything to calm his nerves. "Well, you helped me out too, so I guess we're even-"

I found myself pressing my lips to his cheek without thinking. It was a concise and contrite peck, but it felt like it lasted an eternity and I couldn't even believe that I had done it- I was flirtatious, sure, but I didn't just do that for any guy. Once I stopped, I found Knuckles completely flustered and beat red, and to prevent myself from looking like him, I acted like I had totally planned it.

"Nah, _now _we're even."

I left him a wink before spreading my wings and taking off, stashing away the gem as I tried to register what just happened. I had kissed Knuckles…! I couldn't believe I'd gotten that far, and he didn't even punch me!

I gave myself a mental pat on the back as I returned to the boys, flying almost a little too blissfully.

_In my head, we still weren't even…but he still got what he deserved._

* * *

**End Shadow Flame Core Chapter, Part 1! Next time, an epic battle, character development, humor, suspense, intrigue, and all around awesome stuff happens! ...'nuff said. So staaaay tuned! **


	5. The Enemy of My Enemy is My Friend

**Well, if you've read Sonic's version of the battle, you've _pretty_ much gotten the gist of this one (still doesn't diminish the awesome)...but I do prefer Shadow's take on some things over Sonic's, and his differences in this chapter are important for his story later on.**

* * *

In the Shadow of a Doubt

Chapter 5: The Enemy of My Enemy is My Friend

Knuckles and Rouge were taking _far_ too long for my liking, and I was surprised Sonic hadn't attempted to try and run on the lava to see just what was keeping them. He'd certainly be foolish enough to try… But no- he was laying on the ground resting his back against a rock, lounging around like waiting in a volcano was some kind of vacation to him.

_All he needed was an umbrella drink._

Tails, meanwhile, appeared to be tracing some astute calculation in the ground, with a bunch of numbers and squiggles and words that were even beyond me, though trying to decipher it passed a little time. But sitting around also caused my mind to drift, and an idle mind was a dangerous one…

I was still conflicted on who Mephiles was, why he sent Rouge and I into the future, and what he was doing now…he was too mysterious for me to just disregard him, and damn my natural curiosity for wanting to get to the bottom of it. But seeing as he'd taken my shape, all it took was for one wrong misstep and one wrong colorblind person to witness it, and I could get framed for just about anything with "I was in the future" as my only alibi.

_Even _I_ wasn't inclined to believe that. _

"Taking a page out of Espio's book, eh Shads?"

I opened my left eye to see Sonic simpering at me, referring to how I had assumed a bit of a meditative position. I found that it did help me relax a little, but it wasn't something that I practiced regularly with all my military missions keeping me preoccupied lately.

"I figured there must be some reason as to why he performs the action so often." I told Sonic, too distracted for a proper response.

"Maybe that's because he's a _ninja_," he countered back, and I now glowered at him, with both eyes because I knew he wasn't going to leave me alone now. "Unless, of course, you're going down that path too. You'd be a real shadow in the night!"

_Not even Tails was amused._

Still, might as well use his hunger for chat to my advantage.

"Anyway, Sonic, I believe there's some info I need from you," I started. "We were rudely interrupted before."

He groaned as he started to stretch, like he wasn't going to enjoy telling the tale. "Yeah, yeah, I hear ya- can't even have a little fun first. Frankly, I don't quite know where to begin…"

Tails suddenly sat up, looking as attentive and curious as I was. "What're you tryna tell him?"

"He wants to know what exactly we've been up to, and in exchange he'd tell us his story," he explained as he flipped to his feet. Tails instantly made a cow noise.

"Oh dear, he's going to dip into the theatrics…"

I shot a fierce sicker in Sonic's direction. "Too bad it's not dinner and a show."

I managed to elicit a chuckle from Tails while Sonic made a face and put a foot on the rock he'd been using for a couch.

"If you two comedians would hush for a second, I'll begin," he grumbled, clearing his throat afterward. "First and foremost, Eggman seeks to control time, hence why he needed my Chaos Emerald and it's also how Tails, Knuckles, and I ended up tossed here."

All right, I had figured that much, though for whatever reason Eggman wasn't registering very high on my mental threat meter at the moment. I'd have to look into him later…

"I see," I hummed, carefully beckoning him to continue. He eagerly swept back into his tale, though he looked a touch distraught while telling it.

"But wait, there's more! The fair princess of Soleanna, apparently in possession of something that Eggman desperately needs, is kidnapped! And in fact, her death, predicted the day _after_ we all were thrown forward in time, leads to the future we are currently in."

Now _that_ was disconcerting, but I didn't know too much about the princess, and it appeared Sonic didn't know _too_ much more than I did, therefore I didn't question it too much.

Sonic picked up wind again, staring at his shoes. "And if that's not enough, we just recently learned that the guy who's trying to kill me-"

_Excuse me?!_

"Okay, what?" I interjected, now interested. "Someone's trying to kill you? I don't remember hiring an assassin..."

He clearly didn't appreciate the comment, and I kinda feared I went a step too far by the sour look he tossed in my direction. With the way he was clenching and unclenching his fist, I knew it must've really freaked him out.

"Oh ha- you're just as hilarious as Knuckles. But no, he was seriously out for my blood, because even though Elise's death results in this future, Silver claimed that I was the cause of all this, which is why he went back in time to try and eliminate me-"

_MORE time travel?!_

I was now suspicious beyond belief, and Sonic wasn't explaining elaborately enough. So I threw myself at him but he flipped out of the way and gaped at me. I scrambled back to my feet and would've throttled his shoulders had he not been out of my reach.

"Slow down- this Silver character… he time travelled?!"

He just about shrank as I grilled him for more information. "Yeah, and _also _tried to kill me. But I'm not even sure if his misguided rage is even his fault…"

I scanned him up and down, knowing there was still something he was leaving out; the_ something_ I'd been sensing this whole time... "What do you mean?"

"Well, that's because someone told him I brought despair to the world, so he figured that eliminating me was how to fix it." He shrugged aloofly like this wasn't any sort of big deal, and I held in my urge to hit him. "Silver also wasn't the one who teleported- the guy who was talking to him caused it."

_I was mentally going berserk- if my suspicions were confirmed…_

"Tell me more! What'd the blast look like? What did this GUY look like?!"

"Aah, he simply created a giant purple ball of energy with nothing but his two hands and it warped Silver and Blaze to the past!" he cried frantically, studying me quizzically. "And the guy who did kinda looked like you but, like, faded or something-"

_Time travel? Purple energy!? LOOKED LIKE ME?!_

"MEPHILES!"

I broke out into a mad howl that nearly shredded my vocal cords, sending Sonic into an unintended panic who coddled Tails in anticipation for what I'd do next.

But that Mephiles…! Tampering with time, spreading lies to some kid who probably saw killing Sonic as the only way out of his life in this miserable future, and having something to do with me…?! I enveloped myself in angry red aura flames that overtook my entire body, and it was all I could do not to expel it out in maddening destructive Chaos Blasts like I was prone to do…

_Why'd this have to happen?!_

I was practically burning with uncontrollable rage; I never asked for any of this! I just wanted to get Rouge and go home, and now there was some calculating dark demon running around looking like me, I was a trapped in a crappy future where all my friends all gone- all the _world_ was gone, my future self was most likely still alive and wandering somewhere, and the one person I could still talk to is practically deactivated and covered in dust and I KNEW that Mephiles had SOMETHING to do with it-!

"Shadow, calm down!"

Sonic's voice cut through my rampaging, and I felt his hands on my shoulders pulling me back into reality. I slowly began to calm down, feeling my aura fade bit by bit but not entirely going away.

"Who is Mephiles?!" I heard him exclaim, though I was still seeing red at this point. "And what's YOUR beef with him?"

I was still reeling from trying to figure out Mephiles, but I knew I wasn't going to get very far with the limited information that I had. Getting ticked wasn't going to help anything, so I evened my breathing just enough to say something coherent.

"Mephiles…is the one who put me and Rouge here," I managed to heave out at last.

_You would've thought I hit Sonic and Tails with the words._

Sonic practically doubled over while Tails was flapping his arms like a frantic bird.

"Then that means Mephiles is the source of power that the Master Emerald sensed!" he cried, though I'm pretty sure Knuckles himself sorted that out already. Feeling that I owed them some explanation, I continued on.

"He was trapped in a scepter that Eggman had, but Rouge had gone into White Acropolis to get it from him, and then I was dispatched to get her out…but the next morning when we went to the rendezvous point, Eggman was waiting for us, distracting us, and we ended up breaking the specter."

Both Sonic and Tails were listening intently, and rather seriously at that.

"And then this…black smog took over my shadow, and when he took Rouge and I to the future, he then must've went to that computer room and was the figure you saw talking to…what was his name? Slider?"

"Silver," Sonic corrected me, though I shrugged it off.

"The _point_ is, when Mephiles stole my shadow and stood in front of me…he knew my name, and he knew OF me, and I'd never seen him before in my life!"

Sonic completely missed my point, but if he did get it, he didn't show it. "Don't start blindly following him because he happens to know your name…otherwise you might find out he's your cousin or something."

I delivered the nastiest glare I could muster up, and it must've worked because he shuffled just the slightest bit away from me. I snarled at him one last time for good measure.

"Shut up, Sonic- I know who I am, and no one's ever going to convince me otherwise. Still, he knows me…and if it turns out there's a piece of my memory that's still missing-"

"…you're doubting yourself, aren't you?"

Sonic stopped me right then and there, with Tails looking between the two of us in anticipation. I just found myself gaping at Sonic, trying to figure out why what he had said struck such a chord.

Me? Doubting myself? How could that've been possible? I spent months getting my memory back, and by the end of that horrendous ordeal, I thought I had understood myself as best I could, and was even looking forward to starting a new life…

But that inevitable meeting with Mephiles turned me completely upside down, and his mere existence left me with more confusion and questions than my own past ever did, and him knowing me gave me such a sick feeling in my stomach that it made me dizzy; that sensation of being confronted with the unknown was deathly, especially after what happened a year ago…

_So, did I doubt myself? Even just a little?_

"…yeah," I spoke up, answering myself more than Sonic. "I guess I am."

Sonic then stepped away from me, his bright smile contrasting the dark backdrop as he folded his arms in front of him- now _he_ was someone who never doubted himself.

_And was also pretty damn narcissistic. _

"Well, don't let him get to you that much, because apparently he must've known of me too if he sent Silver to kill me," he pointed out, and I had to admit, it made some sense. "He IS a time traveler- maybe that's simply how he's so…um, knowing."

_Mephiles…knowing…_

It then clicked that there may have been a particularly important reason as to why Mephiles had chosen Silver to suggest the killing of Sonic, but if that was true, then Silver didn't truly understand the weight behind Mephiles…heck, I barely did myself!

_Which meant that Silver was probably even more clueless, and that the truth needed to come to light…_

It was then that I made my decision, turning to Sonic and nodding grimly. "…I need to talk to Silver."

Sonic didn't take it well.

"Dude, he's trying to KILL me!" he wailed, the smile vanishing from his face and his eyes darting around crazily. "He _can't _be reasoned with-!"

"Like he's going to be any match for me," I assured, curling my fingers into a fist. "There has to be a specific reason Mephiles dragged Silver into all of this, and if there's any malicious intent, then Silver's either in danger too or he's a pawn."

_Pawn. Definitely. _

"Silver's not going to kill you," I murmured, shaking my head. "Especially if I have anything to say about."

He folded up his arms once more and dropped his gaze downward. "Yeah, because you've never tried to kill me."

_Well ouch. _

"And that was _before_ I realized how much the world needed you," I susurrated, watching him relax the slightest bit.

At one time, sure, maybe I was a little like Silver before, attempting to snuff out Sonic to fulfill the false wishes that I thought Maria had told me, and maybe I had went a little far when fighting him and Diablon, but now, I understand how wrong I was. Killing Sonic would be the biggest mistake anyone could make, especially seeing the _impact_ he could have on people without even trying…

"The world and your friends need you," I continued, and he stared at me in shock. "You'll leave the world one day, and that's one thing we don't need you to rush into."

At last, he grinned and winked at me, arms at his hips. "Amen to that, buddy. Just wish I could convince Silver of that, but he was too busy hitting me with a chair."

…_pff._

I had to bite my lip to prevent a rather unceremonious cackle from escaping out –because the fact that Sonic was actually hit with a chair was _priceless_\- and I think Sonic would've caught on had Tails not suddenly had his attention grabbed by what was happening before us.

"Hey, there's a path forward!" he realized, and Sonic and I found that there was indeed a way for us to cross that dastardly lava pool. Rouge and Knuckles were also returning to us, calling out that the way forward was clear.

_About time!_

"Here we go!" Sonic hollered, taking off down the path with Tails at the ready. I let out an amused hum before skating behind, but as I did, I noticed something unusually different about Knuckles and Rouge. I couldn't figure it out though- they were too busy leading the way forward.

_If only walls could talk._

"So, how was it?" I asked Rouge when we entered the cave. She was fumbling with something in her pocket, but quickly flashed me a smile afterward.

"I can safely say that it went better than expected!" she nearly sang. I scanned her carefully, only for her to swat at me. "Take a picture- it'll last longer!"

_Well, the mere fact she wasn't black and blue meant that she must've been somewhat tolerable for Knuckles…_

Still, she seemed pretty tight-lipped about the whole thing, and I had no immediate interest in prying, thus I tried to keep an eye out for the Chaos Emerald. Between the weird dark purple-tipped trees everywhere you'd think a colorful gem would stand out, even in the bowels of a volcano.

But no- all that was around were crates, lava, and the path through it, which was incredibly bizarre for a volcano, but I couldn't complain- at least there wasn't some sort of "lava cruiser" vehicle inexplicably lying in wait for me.

_Honestly._

Ahead, Sonic had boosted forward and threw himself at a fire lizard, smacking it in the head with his foot and a charismatic chuckle. From above, a fire bird was getting ready to strike him in his blind spot, so I quickly warped behind it and snapped my fingers. An instantaneous burst of Chaos Energy erupted against the bird, dispatching it instantly. Still in the air, I found even more monsters crawling about looking to harm us, but Rouge and Tails beat me to the punch. They cleared the place with their bombs, and even Knuckles was rummaging around underground throttling fire worms out of sight.

"Hmm," I murmured under my breath, returning back to the ground and skating on behind Sonic. "We actually do work pretty well together."

I mean, we all eventually worked together during the Metal Sonic incident and back up on the ARK, but that was after a ton of convincing and several pep talks. Here, we didn't even have to ask- we knew just what to do and where to go and with who, and it all worked out flawlessly. Even in the midst of a fiery half pipe, where everyone was screaming and diving around spontaneously spurting geysers of lava, we managed to get each other out without any casualties.

However, everyone but me was suddenly drained from the evasion tactics, and as they draped themselves against a group of dark knobby trees, I scanned the area, sensing something amiss. Eventually looking up, I saw the cyan Chaos Emerald, merely floating in midair out in the open begging anyone to grab it.

_If there was anyone in this time TO get an emerald. _

Still, that was our other ticket home, and with everyone else lounging around, I stepped ahead and shouted, "Chaos Emerald!"

_Everyone nearly moved as fast as Sonic did in that moment._

There was an excited cheer from Tails and hushed whispering from Rouge and Knuckles, but I wasn't really listening; my attuned senses were still picking up that something was very, very wrong…

"I'll get that perfect little beauty," Rouge hummed to herself, flying closer to the emerald, and I tensed instantly. "About time we finally found you…"

"DON'T TOUCH IT-!" I howled, making my way to the front of the pack, but I was too late.

A single touch was all it took.

Fire engulfed the emerald on the spot, making Rouge yell and return to the group. I flashed my fangs and stepped in front of everyone, wanting no one to make any hasty decisions. I heard everyone but Rouge shuffle into fighting poses when something emerged out of lava pool and snarled at us, snapping up the emerald in its giant maw.

"What?!" Rouge gaped, eyes ridiculously huge. "What's _this_?!"

"It's Iblis, the source of the Flames of Disaster!" Tails cried.

It was clearly another fire monster, but was larger and far more prominent than any of the brutes, birds, and lizards we'd faced previously, especially since Tails claimed it was the source of all the fire around. Though it had no arms and swam around like some sort of freaky fire fish, I wasn't one to take anything likely, and I was prepared to make that very clear to everyone else-

"Leave this to me!"

-except Sonic beat me to the punch.

"No, _I'll_ take care of this guy," I grunted, only for Sonic to grimace at me.

"Come on, this guy is cake! I can handle this myself!"

I rolled my eyes as Knuckles gave his head a shake. "_You_ don't know that."

"It doesn't even have any arms- how hard can it be?!"

"Well, if you think we're just going to stand here while you boys go play beat 'em up, you've got another thing coming," Rouge interjected, and I smacked my forehead. The last thing we needed was to walk blindly into this, and yet everyone was willing to throw themselves at this creature we knew nothing about…

…_except Tails. _

"We don't even know its fight patterns, but to be perfectly honest, Sonic and Shadow are most capable of adapting to anything it throws at them," he pointed out, and since I was glad that someone was thinking things through, I could allow Sonic to fight too if it was in our best interests.

Rouge and Knuckles were completely against that, and they started yelling at Tails simultaneously. "What?! I'm adaptable!"

"Well, I guess we could distract it if need be-"

"Always the distraction," Knuckles grunted, kicking some dirt.

"Always bait," Rouge tacked on with a sigh.

_Nobody's ever happy…_

In the midst of all this, Sonic made his way over to me with a no-nonsense look, so I knew whatever he was about to say, he meant business.

"Well Shadow, looks like we've got to team up one more time."

I nodded grimly. "It appears so."

He held his hand to me, then flashed me an anticipated grin. "Hey, maybe we'll even work in an Atomic Strike-"

_Oh Lord._

"Whatever," I finished quickly, shaking his hand. "Just do your part, and do it well."

He saluted at me before darting off. "Always."

Sonic vanished to the left half of the area, leaving me to cover the right. Aside from the blasted rocky platforms we were confined to, there was no way to reach the monster in the middle of the lava pool. There wasn't even anywhere for me to land if I performed a small distance teleport, so any of my attacks were out of the question…

"I so can't do anything from here…and I don't he can either," I hummed, looking over to the other side of the arena. That was a mistake.

"Yo, fire face!" Sonic wailed, dancing around and making a huge fool of himself. His shenanigans did nothing more than to put him on the menu for the monster, but he wouldn't quit! "It's about to get hot now!"

I heard the other three express their distaste at his pun, but I was more ticked at his lack of tact in the situation.

"What are you doing, you blue idiot?!"

"…failing to come up with a better idea?" he squeaked back.

_This is hopeless._

"Watch out if he does come at you, Shadow," Rouge warned. "If something that big rams into you, your footholds won't hold!"

_Thank you, Rouge, for the obvious. _

Still, it appeared that Sonic had formed some sort of idea, as he started sprinting across said footholds, dodging the giant balls of fire Iblis was hurling at him. I was wondering what he could've possibly have been doing, until I saw that he was headed for one of the purple orbs we encountered earlier.

_Its glow had drawn all our curiosities in…maybe it'd draw in the worm too._

I watched patiently as Sonic gave the orb a kick, throwing more insults and taunts into the air as he sprang out of the way. The lava monster let out an ear-splitting scream that notably sent Tails and Rouge into pain before it launched forward, almost sounding desperate as it threw itself at the orb. The orb was crushed upon impact, but Iblis was stalled for the moment.

"Here I come!" Sonic bellowed, plowing straight for it with that ridiculous grin on his face. Iblis roared and struggled to get away, but Sonic closed in on a weak point on its head, knocking it back and damaging it slightly.

"That's how we do it!" I exclaimed with realization, activating my jet shoes and skating across the platforms myself. More and more kept falling from above –from where, I know not- so getting close to some more purple orbs was not a problem. Sonic was still in the air after his dramatic feat, so I tried to hurry to get in a hit myself.

"All right monster, you're going to hand over that Chaos Emerald whether you like it or not!" I barked, golden sparks dancing at my fingertips. "Even if we have to pry it from your lifeless corpse!"

Apparently it didn't like _my_ banter very much, because it swooped out of the lava and attempted to destroy the platform I was on, but I warped to a different one and kept working my way to the purple orbs. Mad that it missed, it howled once again and sent a slew of fire rocks down upon me, but I blew them all away with a Chaos Blast and a sneer.

"You brought this upon yourself!"

I leapt over to a platform with an orb at last, hitting it with both my fists repeatedly to make it as bright and distracting as possible. When Iblis crawled out of the lava again, it stared at the orb with longing and released another cry of anguish before making its way over. I warped away once more, watching as it smashed the purple orb upon impact and stalled once more.

With the Chaos Spear I'd been charging, I cast it straight at its forehead, lodging it in the weak spot and making it whine and hiss again, thrashing around and sending lava AND me into the air. I stumbled about, stunned for a bit, but I gathered my bearings and warped next to Sonic, staring at the spot the creature had disappeared with hatred.

"This thing is annoying," I murmured, and Sonic scratched his ear.

"I know…but hey, it can't focus on both of us at once," he explained, eyes lighting up. "It's almost just like fighting the Final Hazard!"

"One keeps it at bay, and the other goes in for the kill," I recalled, nodding. "Ack, jump-!"

We both leapt back one platform as Iblis crashed down on where we were once standing, the both of us shielding our faces as shrapnel of rocks cascaded over us. It must've been really mad now, for it threw its head back and roared, causing more stalactites to fall down and break some of our platforms.

"Argh, this is taking too long," complained Rouge from their safety area. I threw her a quick glance before cartwheeling out of the way of fire rocks.

"Sonic, keep it occupied!" I barked, dancing around the fire. "And get to the orb if you can! I'll do the same and see if I can't wear it down in the process!"

"Can do!" Sonic chirped back, leaping to the middle of the area to perform his next routine. I held in my groan as I skated around, shooting a few spears at Iblis when it attempted to attack Sonic. They glanced off its back while causing very little harm, and it retreated back to its safe zone.

_I guess there was a slight snag in my idea…_

"You guys are so doing it wrong," Rouge murmured again, taking to the sky. "Come on, Foxy Boy; let's show them how it's done!"

Tails nodded and rose to the occasion too. "All right, only since they seem to be struggling-"

"We are _not_!" both Sonic and I insisted, but with the way Knuckles cartwheeled forward and punched the ground, causing several more stalactites to fall, I had a feeling we were out matched in this.

"_Here's_ the plan," Knuckles began, dusting his palms off. "Rouge and Tails will prevent that thing from destroying your way forward, while I ensure you a path. Then, you two hit those orb things and finish the job!"

"If I charge up my Chaos Spear long enough, I should be able to finish it in one hit," I exclaimed, turning to Sonic. "But in that case, I'll require some cover-"

"Consider yourself covered!" Sonic exclaimed with his thumb in the air, before gesturing to the other three. "All right, guys! This is for the Chaos Emerald!"

"For the beautiful gem!" cried Rouge, gallivanting forward.

"For home and to save the future!" exclaimed Tails afterwards.

"For my fragile sanity," grunted Knuckles, stomping the ground and making the area rumble. Sonic and I exchanged a nod, and the plan was put into action.

Iblis was back in its safe zone, but it must've been paying attention to us, because it howled and revved itself up for another attack. However, Rouge and Tails swooped down at it, hurling their bombs and shouting battle cries to the sky, and once it was surrounded by the menagerie of explosions, it couldn't even retreat into the lava.

"RAAAAWRGH!"

_Well, that was unceremonious._

In the meantime, while that duo was busy keeping Iblis at bay, Sonic and I were staying close behind Knuckles, who was using his powerful strength to manually bring the footholds down all on his lonesome. With plenty of room to maneuver, it became almost too easy to get up over to the purple orbs.

However, Iblis had finally managed to get Tails and Rouge to back off by coughing up ball of fires, which bought it enough time to dive under the lava and spring at us.

"Crud!" Sonic cried, watching as the hulking beast prepared to smash down on us. However, neither of us had to do anything, because Knuckles literally grabbed one of the footholds, hefted it into the air, and hurled it at the monster, knocking it out of its trajectory and back into the lava, leaving us unscathed.

_Holy cow._

I just stood completely astonished at what I just witnessed as Sonic whooped and skipped over to Knuckles, giving him a much deserved high five.

"Knuckles, that was NICE!" he cried, clearly more excited about it than Knuckles was. The echidna just chuckled and admired his muscles.

"Yeah, well, maybe now I'll be taken a little more seriously," he boasted, and I pinched the bridge of my nose. "Anyway, hurry up and hit those orbs! Who knows when it'll be back!"

"Right," Sonic and I stated, running over to where the orbs were situated. As I suspended myself over the rock readying a Chaos Spear, Sonic sprang to the orb, hitting it with repeated spin dashes before sticking his tongue out at the lava pool.

"Come and get some, fire fiend!" he cried, and I full on smacked my forehead. "What? I'm running out of insults."

_I don't think the monster cared if it was insulted or not…_

After what seemed like an eternity, with Tails, Knuckles, and Rouge scrambling out of the way, Iblis finally emerged again, releasing an infernal roar as he lunged for Sonic's platform. Sonic backflipped into safety as the orb was busted to smithereens and the monster got his maw stuck on the platform. With his weak spot fully exposed, I let out a cry of my own as a large sparking bolt of energy zinged through the air, stabbing straight through Iblis' weak spot and sending it careening back into the lava.

"Heh, what's wrong?" Sonic mocked at it. "Is that size just for show?"

It was quiet for a moment, aside from a few taunting noises from Sonic, but all of us knew better than to expect the best. Rouge floated down from above, still curious though.

"Did you guys…get it?" she asked meekly, but it was really hard to tell.

"It's certainly not as tough as it looks," I murmured.

"Especially if Knuckles could knock it out like that!" Tails chuckled.

"It's not dead…!" Sonic suddenly exclaimed, and we all turned to the lava where it was rippling dangerously. Rouge, Tails, and Knuckles took the air and started booking it while Sonic and I started running- there was no telling what that thing was going to do now!

"I hate monsters that never know when to quit," growled Knuckles, balling up his fists when we reached safer ground. I just folded my arms and watched as it knocked into the walls of the volcano, still having a little fight left in it.

"Regardless, it can't last much longer, though I doubt it'll fall for the same trick again."

Sonic's eyes suddenly gained that mischievous glint as he glanced over to me. "Well, I may have a pretty awesome suggestion-"

"Fine," I caved with a sigh, knowing where he was going with this. He instantaneously pumped a fist in the air.

"YES! Here we go!" he cried, leaping into action and pointing in various directions. "Knuckles! I need you to form a circle of platforms around the monster! Can you do that?"

Knuckles scoffed and punched his fists together. "Does it have to be a circle? I can do you one better and make a dodecahedron-"

"No, circle! Circle!" Sonic demanded, whipping around to face Tails and Rouge now. "You two! Throw bombs at that thing and keep it in one spot so Knuckles can work his way around it, m'kay?"

"Roger!" they both chirped, heading off to take care of it instantly. He then turned to me looking far too excited.

"Ready to rock and roll, Shadow?" he asked me. I sighed and threw my head back.

"If it'll make you happy," I grumbled.

_But if his smile got any bigger, I swear it was going to fall off his face._

The monster was furious at this point, as it was thrashing around and tossing lava rocks in all directions. Rouge and Tails maneuvered around the onslaught with ease, circling around each other as fiery projectiles of pain flew around them. They both lifted their bombs high with a cry before hurling them at Iblis with Rouge on one side and Tails on the other, rendering it immobile for the time being.

With this, Knuckles wasted no time, pounding his fists on the ground in specific areas, in order to make the circle around the monster like Sonic requested. We stood off to the side as Knuckles craftily created a ring of platforms, stepping on one, knocking another down, and working his way around like that.

"Come on Knuckles!" Tails cried, throwing bombs like they were endless.

"The kid's right, Knuckie! We can't go on like this forever!" added Rouge. Knuckles snarled and pounded what little ground we had even harder.

"I'd like to see one of you have the ability to punch the ground with enough force to knock down even one stalactite at a time!"

_Still with NO CEILING in a VOLCANO._

"You're all doing fine!" Sonic called, stretching in place. "Just a little more…!"

With a mighty roar that could be felt from a distance away, Knuckles slammed his fists one final time and completed the ring, making a perfect oval around Iblis. Rouge and Tails took this as their cue to get out of the way, and Sonic gave me a nod.

"Let's do it to it, Shadow!"

He started circling the area, and once he built up enough speed, I began skating in the same direction. The once blue-only funnel that had formed was now streaked with black, and our forms eventually vanished within it, creating nothing but a whirlwind of a blur. Rouge, Tails, and Knuckles huddled together as they watched the display, the monster being pulled straight up from the lava by the force of the mini cyclone, wailing in protest.

"It's dazed from the impact!" Tails exclaimed frantically. "Now's their chance!"

"Now you guys! Now!" chanted Rouge and Knuckles.

A lot of static built up in the air, giving our little funnel a bit of an electric charge. I could even feel it, but as that tingle sensation came over me, I remembered one very important thing that happened the last time we attempted this move…and that was on accident too.

_We'd been tossed out of the whirlwind._

And now, we were on a thin strip of land that we barely had the room to run on, surrounded entirely by lava! …Sonic hadn't accounted for the kickback!

"Sonic!" I yelled over the roar of the wind. "If we do this wrong, we're going to get tossed into the lava!"

There was a dead silence, and I could tell that Sonic really had forgotten about it, but I also knew what was coming next.

"Well…no going back now."

_Arrrrghhh…!_

Silently praying that maybe we wouldn't experience kickback, we exchanged a nod and threw ourselves at the monster. The force and momentum of the whirlwind allowed us to cycle around it, appearing as an atom to anyone witnessing, with Iblis in the middle. Eventually we spun it around just enough to expose its weak point, and with one last exchanging of looks, we threw ourselves at it, hitting it at the exact same time with enough force to put it out of commission.

"They did it! They DID it!" Rouge shrieked in disbelief.

However, when we went in to attack, the stability of the whirlwind broke, and a loud boom rang out, throwing me, Sonic, and the monster in three separate directions. Iblis was down for the count though, letting out one last roar before throwing its head back, coughing up the Chaos Emerald, and plunging back into the hellfire where it belonged.

_However, I was now plunging to my doom._

"Naaaaaargh!"

The lava was becoming incredibly imminent, and just as I was ready to embrace a painful death of intense heat, Rouge managed to snag my wrist and keep me just above the lava, both of us breathing heavily. Once I wrapped my head around the fact that I hadn't died, a new horror dawned on me.

"The Chaos Emerald!" I shouted, looking around to see where it had gone. Rouge had been immediately concerned too, but then she relaxed, and turned to face me at Tails and Knuckles, who had managed to save Sonic from his plunge.

_And in his arm was the Chaos Emerald._

"Hmph, no problem…!"

As I threw my head back and sighed in relief at Sonic, we all returned to stable ground, where Tails, Rouge and Knuckles instantly threw themselves at each other and started celebrating.

"We did it! We did it!" Rouge laughed, coddling Tails and Knuckles so tightly I think their heads were on the verge of popping off. "We can go home now!"

"We can get out of this future!" cried Knuckles.

"And we can hopefully set things right too!" added Tails happily.

_And maybe I could finally get to the bottom of Mephiles and what he wanted…_

Clearly, all of us were ready to head back, which was especially true when Sonic walked up spinning the cyan emerald on his finger.

"Okay, calm down…! I know this is the moment we've all been waiting for, but we need to get a grip," he chuckled.

_The way he tossed and flipped that Chaos Emerald around made me far less surprised that he lost the one he had previously._

Still, now was the moment that we needed to cause the space-time rift, and suddenly I became apprehensive again, because I was supposed to be doing this with _Sonic_, who had never tapped into the temporal powers of Chaos Control previously- and from what I heard, his spatial abilities were also an _accident_.

But even as he danced around and laughed and joked with Tails, Rouge, and Knuckles, I knew there had to be potential in there somewhere…and there HAD to be, because all of us going home depended on it.

"…Sonic," I began slowly, coaxing him out of his little party with a grave look. He turned to me with his smile, but upon seeing my seriousness it faded a bit. "If we're going to do this, I need to know the extent of your expertise with this."

He shuffled in front of me, staring at the cyan gem in his hand. "…okay."

"Now tell me," I began, pressing my fingers to my head in thought. "What exactly happened when you initiated Chaos Control the first time- what you were doing, how you were standing, and _especially _what was going on through your head."

Sonic looked like I'd punched him, instantly gulping and turning away. "I…don't remember all that clearly-"

"WHAT?!"

"Okay, wait, WAIT!" he stammered, putting his hands up. "I don't remember the stance or what I was doing, or anything like that, but you have to remember that I also had a fake Chaos Emerald at the time-"

"Yes, I do remember that, and if that's true AND you can cause a Chaos Control, then using a real Chaos Emerald could potentially increase your ability tenfold if used improperly," I explained, and he winced. "…all I'm saying is that if someone inexperienced attempts this-"

"I'm not inexperienced!" Sonic suddenly yelled, and all eyes fell on him. Once he caught everyone staring at him he shrank back. "…I'm just nervous."

"I'm not mad or anything, Sonic," I stated truthfully, though still picking my words carefully. "I believe you can do it; I just want to ensure that it's done correctly. We could either end up back in the wrong time or stay stuck in this time, just in a different area."

"And we REALLY don't want to see more of this place," added Knuckles, to which Rouge elbowed him. I shook my head in their direction before turning back to Sonic.

"That's why your thought process at the time you used Chaos Control is so important, because that mindset is what'll allow you to tap into the ability. It's just like going Super- your thoughts are turned into power, but through just one emerald, and you're also combining that power with mine."

He scratched the back of his neck and smiled sheepishly. "…no problem!"

_Liar…!_

"Um, not to interrupt, but maybe Knuckles can help," Tails suggested, gesturing to Knuckles…who was in a staring contest with Rouge. Grimacing, the fox snapped his fingers to get his attention. "…anyway, I'd offer a few points, but I've only been in contact with and absorbed the energy- I've never actually used it, nor do I think I can."

"But while I can use a few abilities and absorb the energy, it's nowhere near to the extent of you two," Knuckles pointed out. "So…I can't really help either."

Rouge merely shrugged. "I just like the sheen and color of the Chaos Emeralds."

_So helpful…_

"Well, if you really gotta know, I was totally near death at the time and trying not to completely wig out," Sonic explained, scratching his ear with his pinkie. "…but really, I was thinking more about my friends on the ARK at the time, cuz I was really worried about how they were doing after witnessing…that."

I noticed Tails' ears twitched slightly as he frowned. "Sonic…"

"I wanted to be with them more than anything at that moment right there and then…and the next thing I knew, I had landed next to Knuckles, and I told him to go see how Tails and Amy were doing while I, uh, went to stop you…?"

_Of course._

"Well, that does paint a better picture," I realized, closing my eyes and thinking it over. "I'm going to assume that you ended up by Knuckles instead of Tails and Amy because of the fact it was a fake emerald rather than your inexperience."

He blinked and glanced around. "That's…a good thing, right?"

"Yes," I grunted, counting to ten in my head. "Now, what I want you to do is not only imagine where you want to go, but also when. You have to focus on that thought and that thought alone in order to turn it into power. I know you can do that much knowing how many times you've gone Super…"

Sonic nodded, slowly beginning to understand. "I want nothing more to go to the morning of the day that Elise was supposed to die and stop that, and this future, from happening."

"Okay," I stated, holding out my hand. We all waited patiently while Rouge eventually groaned and tossed me the green Chaos Emerald. I shook my head at her for a second while Sonic stared cautiously at the cyan emerald. "…are you ready?"

After another steady silence, his gaze met mine and he nodded. "Ready any time."

Tails and Knuckles were practically hanging in suspense as Sonic and I raised the emeralds to the sky, our arms crossing at the wrist and the emeralds hardly touching. I kept the image of the day Sonic described in my mind, and at this point I could only pray he did the same.

"Chaos…" we chanted simultaneously, raising our wrists even higher. "…CONTROL!"

Sonic and I stood firm as sparks of white power radiated from the gems, with even Rouge shielding her eyes from the radiance.

_Come on…come on…_

The emerald pulsated with energy, and I could feel it driving up my arm, and in that moment, my thoughts and Sonic's were also one, thinking of nothing but the Day of Disaster…

_And then, the magnificent purple space-time rift ripped open._

As soon as that blue portal ripped into existence, Sonic was naturally the first to sprint towards it, and before I could reprimand him for being so ridiculously hasty, he had leapt into it, driven by his desire to relieve Elise of her fate…and I just hoped it had worked.

Seeing as Sonic was already gone, Tails and Knuckles wasted no time in following after. Rouge was ready to jump in too, but she took the time to turn to me, wondering if I was coming too.

_But I…I couldn't leave _now_._

The space-time rift must've attracted _his_ attention…the attention of that time-traveling _Mephiles_.

She was already drifting into the portal when she caught the threat too, and she reached out to try and come back, but the warp had already consumed her, and now it was shrinking…and having everyone go on without me.

"Shadow? Shadow…!"

I shouldn't have turned around; shouldn't have reacted to my sixth sense…then I wouldn't have seen that dark and ghastly smoke rising out of the ground taking the form of my doppelganger, standing proud with my likeness next to a plume of rising fire…and I wouldn't have skated at him, demanding answers…

…_And my only ticket back wouldn't have vanished and left me behind._


	6. No Gift Like the Present

In the Shadow of a Doubt

Chapter 6: No Gift Like the Present

When I jumped gracefully out of the portal, I was expecting the boys to be with me; Team Sonic had jumped out before me, and Shadow was right behind me…until he caught sight of Mephiles. I had called out to him to get him to come, as Mephiles was probably just setting up some sort of trap, but as evidenced by me being in Soleanna City, alone and with nothing but the green Chaos Emerald…

_He hadn't followed._

With panic settling in, I picked up the Chaos Emerald he'd left behind, just as the portal sealed shut. I couldn't even go back to join him.

"Shadow…and he doesn't even have a Chaos Emerald anymore…" I trailed, realization settling in and sitting in my stomach like a heavy rock. My communicator then picked that lovely time to go off, and while I hoped it was Shadow or even Sonic telling me that Shadow had ended up wherever they were, it wasn't- it was the GUN Commander.

"Agent Rouge?" he inquired on the other end. Still staring at the emerald, I lifted my wrist and sighed. "Report your mission status immediately. Have you retrieved the Scepter of Darkness?"

_Ugh- I didn't need work at a time like this!_

"Well…" I began, not sure where to start. He'd already be upset that we _broke_ the Scepter of Darkness and released a demon, but he'd be a touch angry at the fact that said demon was the reason why "Agent Shadow" was now stuck two hundred years in the future!

_When did my life get so complicated?_

"I'll…provide a full report shortly," I managed to stammer, shaking my head. I had far more important things to attend to. "Right now, I have a priority situation to deal with."

He grumbled something on the other end as I paced the street, but at least the Commander was willing to listen. The question was, what was I supposed to do? _I _couldn't cause Chaos Control, and certainly not one big enough for a space-time rift. Shadow couldn't cause one either- he was right back to the situation he was in when we first ended up in the future! Team Sonic was probably off saving Elise by now, so they were out of the question…

_Man I needed to expand my circle of friends._

…_wait, friends?_

My eyes lit up as I came across a grandiose idea, one that I wasn't very proud of considering since the risk it entailed was extreme, but…I really didn't know what else to do, and I wouldn't resort to it if I had another choice.

_And if the future had shown me anything, it was that I'd already gone through with that plan. _

Returning to the communicator, I gulped as I made my request.

"…I need to contact E-123 Omega immediately," I forced out, trying to keep my breathing even and calm.

"A peculiar request, but you're in luck," he responded and I held my breath. "We sent E-123 Omega to Soleanna late yesterday, seeing as news reports of Doctor Eggman making a scene there have been running rampant, and he, er, demanded he be sent there to clear out his robots."

_I_ _couldn't help but smile- typical Omega._

"Our radar shows that he's actually in the Tropical Jungle area, if you need to see him that badly."

"I do! Thank you, Commander!" I exclaimed, already running in the direction of the forest.

"I just expect that report soon," he grunted in return, signing off. "Over and out."

I made a face as I hung up myself, but the prospect of getting Shadow out of his predicament kept me determined, causing me to run straight to the forest to talk to Omega.

"He's not dead, Rouge, keep it together," I told myself, going so fast that I eventually just started to fly. "He's just in the future, and you can get him out…"

_I have to._

. . .

The lush landscape of the jungle and the cool waters all around were a much welcome departure from the horrible ashen future I'd just returned from. I didn't have time to appreciate the vegetation though- Shadow was alone in the future with Mephiles, and the most I could do was get him a Chaos Emerald.

_And I was going to need Omega._

Omega…was a very unique robot. Like most semi-sentient machines, he spoke blatantly and used the most efficient words to explain things–in such an over the top robot dialect- and yet the way he went about expressing himself always seemed like you were talking to any other person. Even with his robot speak, somehow he managed to convey _emotion_.

_It was almost kinda scary, yet comforting, how he always knew just what to say in any situation._

That's why Shadow and I were so fortunate to have him as an ally, and why I was going to hate myself for what I was about to ask him to do.

"For Shadow, for Shadow, for Shadow," I repeated to myself, making my way over the docks and dashing deeper into the jungle. I didn't know the first place to look for Omega, but I could always count on the fact that he would be anywhere that Eggman robots were, that was for sure…and there certainly were a ton of them around.

"At least I know I'm going the right way," I shrugged, hurling a bomb at a few smaller 'bots crawling along the ground. Others residing on farther areas were shooting at me from the distance, so I took to the air and started climbing up a pillar. Now only was I out of range, but I was also able to get a good look at the surrounding area.

_Beautiful trees, majestic ruins…and no Omega._

"Maybe I should try calling him," I pondered, tapping into my communicator and scrolling through my contacts. When I reached Omega, I pressed his name and waited for him to pick up. I actually hadn't heard his voice in a while, so I was a little enthusiastic.

"…Comrade Rouge?" his robotic voice announced from the other end, and I nearly squealed in excitement.

"Omega! Yeah, it's me!"

"Sensors indicate that you are currently residing in the same area as me…would you like to request a rendezvous?"

"Yes, I would," I replied, trying not to hint that anything was dangerously wrong. "I've got a really important job to give to you, but it has to be done in person."

"Understood. I am currently located on the outskirts of the jungle. I will remain stationary until your arrival, Comrade Rouge."

I bit my lip at his choice of words, but it was still a relief knowing that he'd remain in one spot. "Okay, Omega. I can bypass most of this jungle, so I'll be there as soon as I can. Hopefully I won't run into too many drones-"

"Must annihilate all Eggman robots!" Omega suddenly wailed, and I heard missile shots come from the other end. "Annihilate! Fire, FIRE!"

"I'll…see you in a bit," I coughed, hanging up and shaking my head. He could be so over the top at times, but I loved that robot.

Anyway, I sprang off the edge of my platform and took to the air, gliding over the water on my way to the outskirts of the jungle. I had expected Omega to take out more robots on his lonesome, but considering that I was surrounded on all sides at every corner, I could only assume that the terrain didn't quite give him an advantage.

"I wouldn't mind a little robotic company, but this isn't what I had in mind," I commented, barely flying away from the onslaught of attacks being hurled at me. I managed to turn around and stall a few Egg Shooters with my bombs, but there were so many and my bombs' radii could only reach so far.

I ran around the puzzling maze the ruins seemed to form, finding robots resting in every area and none of them were too happy to see me. There were huge white drones with hulking shoulders and cannons on their arms the size of my head; they gathered in packs of five and six, rendering me dangerously outnumbered…

_WHY did Eggman have so many forces in this dang jungle!?_

I flew out of the way just as they fired at me, some of them simply missing while others ended up hitting each other, and in the mess of confusion, I made my escape. I scaled the side of a wall and made my way to higher ground once more, bombs perched between my fingers just in case of another ambush. From there, I picked up the sound of splashing water not too far away from me, so I inched my way forward cautiously, taking no chances. When I poked my head around a throng of bushes, I found that the immediate threat was nothing more than a large friendly turtle, whose back was big enough for me to catch a ride on.

"Guess I can get around on this guy," I remarked, stepping onto it shell but refusing to sit down.

_It looked so slimy…!_

Letting the turtle carry me around brought me back to the day Shadow, Omega, and I had visited Seaside Hill, where we then entered the Ocean Palace. Giant turtles were plentiful back then, and while I was far more interested in the fascinating wildlife, Shadow and Omega had been so busy bickering that they didn't take the time to stop and notice.

I smiled in spite of myself as I watched my reflection drift through the water. "Hard to believe that they're so close now…"

It was because of that bond they had created was why I was sure Omega would go with my plan…being a robot, I didn't know if he'd understand the full intent of my idea, but him being Omega, I wouldn't put it past him. He was secretly clever like that, though as I stared at the green Chaos Emerald, I wasn't feeling that overwhelming sense of admiration for the jewel. Now, I was just filled with concern that this wasn't going to be enough to help Shadow…

It was then that I sensed how _still_ it was in the area, aside from the soft sound of the turtle paddling his way through the water. There was no one in a rush, no urgent panic, no signs of despair anywhere…this was such a charming little place; the kind of place I really _wouldn't_ mind taking a vacation- even cruising on the turtle was a pretty smooth ride!

_But where was the fun in vacationing alone?_

"And yet, Shadow would reprimand me for even considering the thought," I sighed, stepping off the turtle when it came to a stop. "He's such a buzzkill…and yet, here I am, with my pitiful attempts to get him out of the future."

_So complicated…!_

I steeled myself and forged on, crossing a mossy boardwalk and making my way around a very unstable structure that was crawling with robots. My climbing ability came in handy, allowing me to get to areas where they couldn't hit me…but if they did manage to reach me, I made sure to acquaint them with the back of my foot or a bomb to the face. If that wasn't enough, I kept running into dead ends, taking wrong paths, and constantly found myself flying over the water trying to set myself straight. Everything looked the same in this blasted jungle, and nothing was straight forward…all I needed to do was find the outskirts- how hard could THAT have been?

Just when I thought I was making some leeway in my search, I ended up coming across an area that was full of Eggman's drones…and they were blocking the only way forward, naturally. There were six big ones, and a few of the smaller ones that scuttled on the ground. I narrowed my eyes and readied myself, simpering in their direction.

"Sorry boys…" I trailed, taking out the smaller ones with bombs to get them out of the way. "…but you're all worthless consumer models!"

The drones must've taken offense to that, for all six of them turned and aimed their cannons at me. I flew out of the way and started scaling a nearby palm tree, just barely missing getting hit by their bullet fire. Once at the top, I leapt down and started spinning rapidly, drilling my heels into the head of one of drones and spiraling right through him.

It burst into pieces once I return on the ground, ready for the other five to come at me. One eventually did, so I whirled around and gave it an uppercut kick, followed by taking out one of its legs so it cascaded to the ground and smashed itself. With four remaining, they all tried getting around me, but I forced them to back off with a bomb, then I threw myself at one and rammed into it hard enough to knock it back into the palm tree. From there, I grabbed its shoulder and swung my way to its head, flipping around and crushing it with my heel. Half down, half to go.

I found myself climbing up the tree again to avoid a rather nasty-looking robot punch, then hurling a bomb down below. The robot bleeped and staggered back, but its two remaining allies pushing it back up and joined forces to attack me. I jumped down from the tree and instantly started a Tornado Kick, managing to hit one in the back and force it forward into another one. I then dropped a few bombs on top of them, detonating them and creating a violent explosion of shrapnel.

"…and then there was one," I murmured, watching the final one stare me down with its emotionless infrared eyes. It then fired a few missiles at me, which I kicked away with precise movements before cartwheeling forward, giving me the momentum and power to drive a kick through its torso and put it out of commission.

"It's a shame they didn't know who they were messing with," I hummed, practically skipping down the path as whatever remains of the drones exploded violently behind me.

_That's what I call a beautiful technique!_

Climbing up to the area that the robots were so desperate to guard, I found was looked like an abandoned temple, but it also served as gateway to the outskirts. I could see a bit of a clearing on the other side, so I hurried and flew forward, surprised at the lack of drones, but grateful at the same time- that last battle took a bit out of me. I then heard heavy robotic footsteps ahead of me, and I went on edge again, but when I saw a form of red, black, and yellow emerge, I broke out into a grin and flew full speed ahead, bounding onto my feet and running at the robot.

"Omega!" I cheered, landing in front of him and waving eagerly. "Long time no see!"

_After seeing him in that dusty state in the future, to see him up and about now without a speck of dirt on him was a relief._

He leaned forward and studied me, as if trying to make sure it was truly me. "Rouge the Bat…"

"Yes, it's me. Nice to see you too."

Omega looked around again, as if something was missing. "…where is Comrade Shadow? Was he not supposed to be with you?"

I bit my lip and glanced away. "Ah…um…long story short…Shadow's kinda stuck in the future."

Omega was perfectly still as he tried to process the information. "…answer is not sufficient. More information required."

"Man Omega, you're twice as robotic as you usually are," I remarked, raising an eyebrow. "…but if you require the full story, then here it goes…"

I took a deep breath and started recounting everything.

"All right, so you know all about how I was sent to Soleanna to get the Scepter of Darkness from Eggman-"

"-Annihilate!-"

"-and Shadow was sent to come and get me, but during a confrontation we broke the scepter and this demon named Mephiles popped out, said some things to Shadow, and then randomly tossed us two hundred years into the future. We would've been totally lost there if it wasn't for the doctor conveniently yet unintentionally sending Team Sonic there too-"

"-Meatbags!-"

"-and so we banded together to find some Chaos Emeralds, and Shadow and I found this green one not too far away from where we saw you in stasis. You were totally unresponsive so we left to search a volcano, but then a monster ate our other emerald, so we fought it. Then Sonic and Shadow opened a space-time rift which took me, Sonic, Knuckles, and Tails back, but just as Shadow was about to jump in, he saw Mephiles, and he decided to stay behind to confront him, and the portal closed…"

I stopped myself to get in a breath, overwhelmed with the realization of all this.

"…now Shadow's alone in the future, without even one Chaos Emerald, and I don't even know how he can open another space-time rift, and I don't know what Mephiles plans to do with him, and…and…"

I lifted my head to meet Omega's, frowning deeply.

"…I'm scared for him, Omega, and I didn't know who else to turn to…"

My gaze fell back down to the ground as I tried to stay composed. I then felt a heavy hand on my shoulder, finding that Omega had reached out to me. I could hear his processors whirling again as he took everything in

"…situation understood," he said at last, pulling away from me and standing straight. "What would you like me to do?"

"It's…a bit of an extreme idea," I stated quietly, poking my fingers together. "I honestly hate to ask you this Omega, but it's the only way I can think of to give Shadow even a little bit of help…and I kinda know that you'll already agree to it since I saw your state in the future, but…"

I held my breath as I pulled out the Chaos Emerald- this was the moment of truth… "I need you to take this, and deliver it to Shadow…in the future."

"You request that I take the Chaos Emerald, go into stand by until the designated time, and reactivate to give Comrade Shadow assistance?"

"Argh, don't put it like that," I winced, my ears drooping. "But essentially, yes, that is what I'm asking. I know that means sitting through the end of the world and reawakening in a time that's far displaced and far more desolate than our own, but that's where Shadow is, and we need him here, and now…I'm asking so much of you Omega, but-"

"…if it is for Comrade Shadow, then I am willing to acquiesce, especially if my actions will bring ease to your mind."

I gaped at him, feeling my grip tightening around the emerald. "Just like that…you'd agree?"

"Subjects of this caliber have been conversed between Comrade Shadow and myself, discussing a direction I should take with myself…and so far, after much processing, I still have not reached a suitable conclusion," he explained, and I just wondered what _else_ he and Shadow had talked about. "So perhaps, if I do this, that purpose will become clear."

"…that's very noble of you, Omega," I stated quietly, holding out the emerald. Silently, he reached forward with his silver hand and picked up the emerald out of my palm, perching it in his sharp appendages. A slot in his stomach suddenly opened up and he dropped the Chaos Emerald into there for safe keeping.

"System reactivation countdown initiated," he blared, and I clenching my fist out of anticipation. "Backup power source and spare magazines secured."

…_what kind of magazines does he read, Robot Rampagers Monthly?!_

"Command program priority changed. New mission: Shadow Support. External access no longer permitted…confirmed."

"When you get to the future, and you see Mephiles trying to hurt Shadow…" I began, a smirk playing on my expression. "…I want you to do your thing and attack him!"

"Affirmative! Request acknowledged. Proceeding to commence designated action."

In his last few moments of activeness before he wandered away, I gave him a parting wave.

"I'm counting on you," I told him, smiling sadly. "And…thank you, Omega."

Omega then marched off to the coordinates I gave him, his mission at the forefront of his mind. Seeing as he was a robot, part of me thought that he didn't quite understand the gravity of what I asked….but part of me also think he did, which was why he agreed in the first place.

_And now, he was Shadow's last hope._

**R-S**

I can't exactly say what I did was a mistake.

Yes, in the back of my mind, I was aware of what I had done, and fully understood the repercussions of my actions. The important thing was that the others were back in the present where they belonged, working to hopefully avert themselves from this future. I trusted that they would, because there was no way Sonic at the very least would let someone lose their life on his watch.

I felt a twinge of guilt prod at me, but I steeled myself and forged on.

Sometimes things happened for a reason. The future, yes, it can be changed, as it is never concrete, but the past should not be tampered with, under no circumstances. That was something this "Silver" character didn't quite understand. While changing what was_ his_ past would certainly affect the future, it wouldn't necessarily save it. Everything could –_would_\- be put into jeopardy with a single mistake. It wasn't his time or place to tamper with, unfortunately.

But as I stood before Mephiles the Dark, who was perched on a dark tree high above me as if to prove his superiority, I knew that staying in the future was what _I_ had to do. Something dangerous was lurking in the shadows of this whole plot, and Mephiles was behind the scenes fueling it all. If I hadn't stayed to confront him, who knew what time period he would run off to, looking like me and causing mischief wherever he went.

And he certainly wasn't lingering around here in the future for the _scenery_.

"So, decided to void your return ticket now, did you?" he asked me, far more animated than our previous encounter. Undertones of both threat and curiosity laced his words, but I stood my ground. I wasn't afraid of him, or of what he could do.

"Why are you here?" I demanded to know, pointing my finger accusingly. "Did you ruin this world?"

For the first time, a hint of emotion crossed his demon eyes, almost as if he was amused by the question.

"The answer's yes…and no."

_What?!_

I could sense that there were a multitude of meanings behind his response, but whatever he had meant, he wasn't going to straight up tell me.

"Perhaps…it's better that I show you," Mephiles stated, snapping his fingers. Initially there was nothing but a puff of smoke in the air, but something eventually emerged from the fog. I couldn't quite make it out initially, for it was a bright pink color that was nearly blinding to look at. I glowered a bit as I squinted to make it out, but once I did, my eyes shot wide open in astonishment.

"Yes…" Mephiles rumbled, devoid of any reaction at all to what he'd just revealed to me. "…that's you."

It _was _me: my hands and feet were bound in metallic cases, and I was surrounded by a pink force field that permitted no escape…but my eyes were closed, and I had the eeriest feeling that I wasn't sleeping…nor was I dead.

_This… this was _Future Me_, stuck in suspended animation._

I staggered back a few steps, not moving my eyes from the display before me. If Mephiles was getting any enjoyment out of seeing me suffer, I couldn't tell- his straightforward and blunt stating of facts masked anything he might've been feeling.

"After the world was devastated by Iblis' flames, what do _you_ think happened?" he asked me evenly enough. But I didn't know- I didn't even entirely know who Iblis was, but if he was the so-called cause of the flames, then that lava monster we faced…

Mephiles watched me piece the pieces together as he answered his own question. "…a search for the guilty, of course."

_No…he couldn't possibly be implying…_

"Who did this, you may ask?"

He gestured toward Future Me trapped in the eternal jail, powerless and unconscious to do a thing.

"I didn't do this," I stated adamantly. I'd been shown false things before, and I wasn't about to believe what this guy had to show me.

"Humanity wasn't just jealous of your power…they feared it," Mephiles carried on, staring down at me with his soulless gaze. I tore myself away from it and looked at the ground.

"That's not a reason to entrap me like this-"

"They _used_ this incident as an excuse to hunt you down!" he insisted.

"…I'd like to think that the humans would have bigger problems than being afraid of me," I grumbled under my breath. Mephiles folded his arms and refused to remove his harrowing stare.

"You know very well that humans are willing to believe anything, and _do_ anything, when they feel they are being threatened, or when they are confronted with the unknown…" trailed Mephiles, making my quills bristle. "When they are presented with something that is out of their control, they seek to destroy it…"

I threw my hand up at Future Me and snarled at Mephiles. "Then why am I still alive?!"

"You tell me, Ultimate Life Form…" His voice was dangerously even and I was REALLY starting to hate it. "They couldn't kill you, so they subdued you…used what you held dear against you; turned any allies you had left into enemies…! You were horribly outnumbered, and you were put into this energy chamber, and you've been like this ever since…"

A dull glint crossed his eyes.

"Is this the fate you truly want, Shadow the Hedgehog?" Mephiles held out his hand to me, expression as neutral as ever. "Come with me, Shadow. Let us punish this foolish world of humanity for their capacity to jump to conclusions, for their reckless and impulsive actions, for their pathetic behavior when their world was taken away from them, and for harboring ideas that they can control _gods_…!"

He worked himself into a crescendo, becoming more pretentious and exorbitant with every word.

"…and when those plans fail, they pour the blame unto someone else, and try to bring down those who are innocent."

His eyes nearly burned a hole into me, and I was starting to get ridiculously uncomfortable.

"And it is only fair to give back what was intended for you…and you have _every right_ to want _justice_."

_Justice…or revenge?_

What good would punishing the humans do? Do to them exactly what they've done to me? Been there, done that, and _didn't_ want to do it again. Maybe if he had cornered me a year ago, I may have been coerced into that thinking, but I knew his type; subtle, manipulative, and sugar coating his words just to get me to do his bidding.

I stared at my Future Self one more time, watching as I was splayed out before the entire world to see…or what was left of it. The Sonic Heroes were gone, Omega was left unresponsive, and I was a painful reminder of just how far the world was brought down to its knees. Who was left to save it now, and if there _was_ anyone left, who would bother wasting time bringing harm unto others? That solves nothing! And that's…that's…

"…that's absurd," I finally said, making my choice. "Whatever it is you want to do, you can do it alone."

_There was no way he was dragging me into it!_

"You _forgive_ humanity this folly then?!" He actually sounded surprised as he pointed toward Future Me's unfortunate state.

"I determine my own destiny," I explained dauntlessly, clenching my fist. "No one tells _me _what to do!"

Mephiles stared at me emptily, as if my choice had no impact on his actions. His look was relentless and unforgiving, slowly spreading out his arms but never taking his eyes off of me. I was at a loss for what to expect next, but he suddenly started glowing with a purple aura before spontaneously bursting into light.

_And no longer did he have my form._

I supposed he had the shape of a hedgehog, but he was_ far_ from being one. He had purple nubs where feet were supposed be, a coating of crystal instead of that faded navy fur, and his eyes were a bloody pink where they should've been white, and his irises- still soulless, but now a luminescent chartreuse color. That purple smoke surrounded him like an ominous shroud and whatever he was about to do next wouldn't be pleasant.

_But I had come too far in my life to be persuaded by the likes of him _now_. _

"Such foolishness…" he rumbled, finally showing his true colors as he floated a few feet above the ground. "In this world, only the truly strong survive, as proven by how long your form has withstood the test of time. Time itself is but an illusion, a concept created by weaker minded individuals to give them the misconception of something _happening_; that life truly marches on day after day…"

Mephiles gestured to himself as he glanced at me.

"But those with stronger minds can bend that concept of reality and even transcend it- time is nothing when you go back or travel as far as you want…your will bends to no one, and in that way, you and I are the same, Shadow…"

He topped off his spiel by taking a bow at me, just like he did when I first faced him.

"Don't bother trying to deceive me- I know who I am, and what I wish to do with my life," I remarked, staring straight with conviction. "We may both be able to defy time, but that doesn't mean we should. Time itself may just be a concept, but the events of life still have a flow to follow, and only actions taken in the present should matter. The past has happened and should be accepted, and the future has yet to come. What we see here may yet not come to be."

Mephiles actually seemed interested for a fleeting moment, almost with look of irony, but it was temporary and vanished as quickly as it appeared. "Very well…let's see if you can _entertain_ me, at the very least…"

He crossed his arms in front of his chest as a horde of black demonic creatures emerged out of the darkness, coming in endless droves and seemingly never reaching an end. Mephiles disappeared in the midst of them all, leaving me surrounded by the shades. They were everywhere, and no matter how many times I threw myself at them, they simply seemed to double with each defeat. I knew it was fruitless to waste my energy tackling them one at a time, but they started to dog pile me, latching onto my back and restricting my movements.

_These shadows he's controlling…I have to find their origin!_

"A shame that the line of fate has drawn us on different sides," Mephiles boomed, his voice echoing throughout the area but I was unable to see him. "Together we could have been_ great_."

"I told you, I refuse to be part of any grand design of yours…!" I exclaimed, glowing red and bursting with energy. The little things that were crawling all over me were expelled away, but more came at me, and I didn't have enough energy to propel them away.

"Oh, but Shadow…" Mephiles taunted again as I was forced to my knees by the shades. "…_you already are_."

He then broke out into a billowing laugh that swept the area but had no origin, and hearing Mephiles all around me but being unable to pin the voice to the body was maddening. Shades kept throwing themselves at me from all directions, and suddenly the weight became too much, forcing me to the ground and griping at the dirt in pain. The shades were clawing into me, grabbing my head and pushing it downwards.

"Get…off…me…!"I snarled, but there were too many, and the only thing I could see in front of me was the ground before me.

_And my shadow._

Mephiles cackled at me, and now I knew where he was hiding. He had become one with my shadow, his pink and green eyes glaring up at me, taunting me knowing that he couldn't be touched. I moved my hand, expecting my shadow to follow me, but Mephiles had seized full control of it, even spreading his arms and twirling around to make sure I knew it….and that was actually pretty scary.

"You and I are practically one, Shadow…like mirrors of each other," he sneered.

My pupils shrank and I erupted with rage, curling into a spin dash and slicing all of the shades off my person. I then stood back up and glowered down at Mephiles.

"Get out of my shadow!" I barked, trying to step on him with no avail. He chortled at me with that maniacal and slightly insane laugh, which only served to infuriate me more.

"Like time, I am untouchable…like a shadow, am I really truly here…? And like you, I didn't deserve to be put in a prison…"

I snarled and punched at ground, quickly realizing that it was no use at all.

_This is why shadow boxing is pointless._

Growling, I returned my attention to the shades, my quills sharpening defensively as I threw myself into the fray, teleporting every which way to strike each and every one that came my way. Many of them evaporated into that foreboding fog, and with every strike, I could see Mephiles below me, and if he had a mouth he'd be sneering at me.

"It doesn't matter how many of them you defeat, you know," he goaded me, enforcing his upper handed advantage over me.

"I will keep fighting until my final breath!" I snarled, now punching and kicking around like a madman. Mephiles simply shook his head on the ground.

"And your final breath will be had in that energy capsule over there."

_NRRRRGH…!_

His words only served to fuel my anger, igniting a fire of fury within me that fueled every punch I doled out and every kick I delivered. I didn't care how many of these shadows I had to fight; I'd take them all down if I had to! Mephiles could conjure up as many as he wanted as he hid in my own shadow- that just proved he was a coward who couldn't fight me one on one.

"As long as I'm your shadow…you can't even touch me!"

The more I battled, the stronger I felt, and though I was glowing red, I wasn't feeling that deathly craving for destruction or extreme anger this time. With every victory, I felt as though I could overcome everything, even this demon who had stolen my form, threw me into the future, and manipulated my shadow…his laughter constantly chimed in my ear, but no longer did it serve to infuriate me…it _empowered_ me.

So glowing red, I leaned down into my shadow, reached out, and pulled Mephiles right out of it.

He seemed just as stunned as I was, lying limp in my grip as I held him over the ground so he couldn't merge back into my shade, which was back to normal at this point. Mephiles didn't even attempt to fight his way out, but he did seem astonished.

"What!? Shadow! You-?"

I silenced him with a kick to the throat, sending him spiraling into the air. He instantly snapped his fingers and several of the shades came plowing at me, but I wasted no time in getting them off my back.

"Death to all who oppose me!" I shouted, covering the area with a huge burst of red energy. Mephiles simply crossed his arms in front of his face while his mindless minions were blown away and turned to smoke. When he removed his makeshift shield, he had to contend with the fact that I was coming straight at him with my fist, punching him in the face and knocking him back again. Mephiles staggered back on the ground, but I warped next to him and plowed into his legs with a spin dash. He managed to float a ways away from me after that, but I charged up a Chaos Spear and drove it at him, nailing him in the chest.

He'd been damaged, but he merely laughed.

"A valiant effort, but take this…!"

His minions swarmed under him like a pack of flies as he rose higher into the air, a large ball of blue power forming between his palms over his head. He threw it forward, clearing out many of his own men in his crusade to destroy me. I warped to the right of where it landed, feeling the aftershock even from where I was at.

"HAH!"

He suddenly threw another one at me, and this one managed to nail me. Several volts of shock coursed through my entire body, and I felt myself careen across the area at a speed that was dizzying. Somehow, I managed to flip to my feet and grind to a stop, while Mephiles returned to the ground and prepared his next attack. I was still discombobulated from the last attack, so being plowed with another one instantaneously was an even worse feeling. This time I didn't have it in me to stop myself; I hit a petrified tree and came to a painful halt, the wind knocked out of my lungs and leaving me breathless.

_And it dawned on me that this was the one guy who could actually kill me._

My chest was burning and my muscles were aching from fending off his creatures, and now I could barely move at all, my eyes growing wide as I gasped for air. My eyesight blurred and I actually felt lightheaded as I fell forward, still managing to land on my hand and a knee, but barely keeping my balance.

_What ungodly power had he hit me with!?_

I panted heavily, sapped of the energy to even get out of the way of Mephiles approaching me. My chest rose and fell at an unnatural rate, getting more uneven the closer Mephiles came, and he couldn't even grace me with a snide remark or some verbal announcement of a possible and imminent end. He just silently strolled up to me with that deathly glow in his hand with_ nothing_ I could do about it…and that was more terrifying than _anything_ he could've possibly said.

The sound of gunshots then filled the air, and initially I thought it was Mephiles' doing, so I flinched and ducked away, but nothing hit me. Astounded, I turned back to see what had happened…and found my robotic best friend back in action, his blasters at the ready.

"Omega?!" I exclaimed, ridiculously relieved for several reasons at once.

"_Now_ is the designated time," Omega blared, and I had no idea what he was talking about but I was certainly glad for it. He turned to me and gave me the best nod that he physically could. "I shall assist."

He instantly turned fire onto Mephiles, who possessed no idea of what to expect either and promptly jumped away. Omega then marched over to me and assisted me up off the ground.

"Comrade Shadow, Rouge asked me to support you," he explained, thudding over to where Mephiles had retreated. "Thus I was in standby, waiting for the designated time to assist."

…_whaaaaat?!_

"You mean to tell me that ROUGE told you to sit around for two hundred years, which you agreed with…just to help me?" I asked, completely floored at this point.

"You would have done the same for me," Omega assured, swapping his hands out for his cannons. "Besides, I had spare magazines."

_Wait, what-?_

Mephiles' shades congregated around us during our fast-paced discussion, and while I readied myself with a Chaos Blast, all Omega had to do was whirl around and they all went flying in the other direction. Lucky.

"Comrade Rouge requested that if Mephiles was attacking you, I was to intervene," he stated, eyeing up Mephiles in the distance. "…is that the character in question?"

I narrowed my eyes and nodded grimly. "Yeah, that's him."

"Then I must do my thing and attack him!" he shouted, raising his arms to the sky as he ran into the battle with guns blazing.

_Strangely, I had a feeling I'd win this time._

**S-O**

Operation: Shadow Support is underway!

Initial Mission: Guard Project Shadow. Under no circumstances permit any intruders. Order received by Doctor Eggman. Current Eggman Status? _Enemy number one._

Yet…initial programming is still in place. Protecting Shadow is of the utmost importance, but for a different reason than what was previously given. Comrade Shadow no longer needs to be protected from the world…he must be safeguarded TO protect the world!

Eliminate All Eggman Robots- mission temporarily suspended.

New Priority- Eliminate Threat of "Mephiles". Proposes danger to Shadow. Assessing battle area…

Current target stationed in midair; his color is most unsettling, and his power readings are off the charts. Regardless, it is my mission to put him down. This creature cannot thrive for a moment longer! Activating blasters immediately!

"Omega! He can control those shades to attack and do his bidding!"

Vocal identification: Shadow the Hedgehog. Heed advice. Avoid projected beings of darkness.

Initiating boosters for extra trust to evade shades at all costs- primary focus must remain on Target Mephiles. Keeping turrets strained on him and letting loose with relentless missile fire! Do not hit Comrade Shadow.

"Argh, what?!"

Vocal Identification: "Mephiles". Statement assessed as cry of anguish. Continuing unforgiving assault.

Performing close ranged attack while target is grounded. Switching to Hand Mode immediately. Hold _no_ punches.

Target Mephiles physically resembles the build of Comrade Shadow. Sensors indicate this is an unintentional and unnatural phenomenon. Diagnosis for why: unknown. More data required. Store questions for Shadow in Memory Banks.

Data Stored Successfully.

Shades are too close in proximity. Activating boosters. Comrade Shadow within proximity, skating .5 meters behind- position permitted. Shades are proving to be a troublesome menace. Must focus directly on Target Mephiles. Target within range: initiating trademark Omega Shot!

"Yes! Good job Omega! He has no idea what he's in for!"

Vocal Identification: Shadow the Hedgehog. Praise detected in vocal pitch and amplitude. Initiate follow up comment.

"The mission will be fulfilled, and Rouge will no longer have reason to worry. My self-purpose will also be complete."

"Self-purpose? Where did THAT come from?"

Vocal Identification: Shadow the Hedgehog. Phrase processed as question. Initiate proper response. Searching memory banks…searching…data found.

"It is related to what we have discussed in the past. I will see to it that all Eggman robots are eliminated…but what was I designated to do after that?"

Comrade Shadow facial features appear confused. Detecting lack of understanding. "So you thought sitting in standby would help you think of something?"

Phrase detected as question. Formulate response. Searching data banks…nothing found. Searching memory banks…partial data located.

"What else could I do in a two century year wait?-" Fire! Fire! "-External access was terminated…internal processes remained intact."

Comrade Shadow head moves up and down. Detected as nodding motion. Sensors detect understanding. "I see…"

Phrase determined as rhetorical remark: no response needed.

…Shades are becoming too close in proximity! Accessing blasters, strength at maximum! Eliminate all threats then focus on Target Mephiles. Danger levels high! Shades have contact with outer casing. Remove threat immediately. Remove threat immediately.

Attack detected from behind! Attack connected on back outer casing! Personal damage received: moderately mild. Commence repairs at later time. Eliminate source of attack immediately.

"You're just a nuisance…robot! Mwa ha ha ha ha ha!"

Vocal identification: "Mephiles". Phrase contains high levels of malice and disapproval. Threat level: moderately high. Proceed with caution.

…caution deleted. Attack persistently! No mercy! Annihilate! Fire, Fire!

Damage levels of Target Mephiles: 65 percent. Damage levels too low.

Stability levels of Target Mephiles: 35 percent. Stability levels too high.

Large masses of blue energy detected. Consist of highly concentrated energy of electrical origin. Dark matter also detected. Avoid at all costs- Alert! Damage sustained on front outer casing! Damage sustained on right outer casing! Commence repairs at later time. Remain in offense mode. Annihilate!

"Take THIS!"

Vocal identification: "Mephiles". Phrase contains warning of imminent threat. Perform evasive maneuvers. Remain in offense mode and _fire_!

"We can wear him down, Omega! If only I didn't let go of that Chaos Emerald…!"

Vocal identification: Shadow the Hedgehog. Phrase contains hints of suggestion. Searching memory banks…data formed. Initiate reply.

"Rouge has given me your Chaos Emerald, in case you had use of it."

Open storage hatch. Chaos Emerald placed into possession of Shadow.

"All right! You know what do to!"

"What is this madness-?!"

"Chaos…CONTROL!"

Time break initiated. Commencing launch of Inferno Laser. Goodbye, Target Mephiles.

Chaos Inferno activated! Main target: Mephiles. Optional targets: Annoying Shades. Must eliminate all threats! Full power online!

Damage levels of Target Mephiles: 99 percent. Damage levels at favorable percentage.

Stability levels of Target Mephiles: 1 percent. Stability levels at favorable percentage.

Mission Complete! Good performance. Shadow-like creature: Temporarily terminated.

**O-S**

Mephiles had taken a lot of damage thanks to Omega's unforgiving assault, forcefully tossed to the ground, and we really laid it on thick with our Chaos Inferno combined attack. Usually we do it with Rouge, but seeing as she wasn't around, we had to make do. While learning that Omega had been in the state for two hundred straight years, I had to hand it to Rouge, it wasn't too bad of an idea.

"Nrrgh…" growled Mephiles, getting up from the ground with a stagger in his step, a purple fire enveloping around his body. He wasted no breath in speaking- he threw his demonic glare at me as he held up his hand, a purple portal emerging into existence. He then floated up off the ground and drifted away from me, his suffocating gaze locked onto mine as he vanished into the ether.

"Mephiles!"

That portal was taunting me, as it was my only way out of this time…yet, how was I supposed to know when and where Mephiles would take me? What if he went to a place even worse off than this one, as some ploy to trap me somewhere else?

_But one thing was for sure- Mephiles seemed to want to me follow him. _

"Omega, do you have a reading on that portal's destination?" I asked, inching closer to it cautiously.

"Negative. The portal is far too condensed with spatial-temporal energy to derive concrete readings," he bleeped. "However, it appears to be our only method of escape. Risk factor is high, yet it must be disregarded."

I whipped my head to face him curiously. "Wait, 'our method'…? Omega, if we end up in the past during a time when we're, uh, around, then there will be two of you, not mention possibly two of me! You at the very least belong in the future, along with Future Me in that prison over there."

Omega's processors whirled as his eyes blinked repeatedly. "If we end up in our ideal designated time- i.e., the day Rouge gave me the mission, then I will be in standby mode at the outskirts of Soleanna City for my requested two hundred years. No communications between the me of now and the me of then will occur."

"Argh, I hate the idea of messing with time in such a manner, but it seems we'll avoid any problems, and that portal isn't getting any bigger," I sighed, skating forward and leaping toward it "Let's go, Omega!"

"Affirmative," Omega agreed, thundering after me.

I had no idea where I'd be tossed this time, or if Mephiles would be waiting, but anywhere had to be better than here…all I could do was hope that for once, _something_ would actually be in my favor.

* * *

**So Shadow's story finally kicks into overdrive! ...if it hadn't already. And sorry if Omega's part was...weird. It's tricky writing a thought process from the POV of a _robot_, but it's a bit of a smoother read the next few times he's in the spotlight. Sure was fun though. XD**


	7. A Shadow to the Past

**Katz4: **Hooray! Glad you gave Shadow a chance- most of the actual PLOT happens in his story, so it's nice to hear you were filled in. And you read the chapters side by side? Full experience right there! xD The only time I've done that was in editing, and I _still_ missed that little discrepancy...though I'll have to double check if it was intentional or not. In any case, thanks for reading, and I hope you'll like this chapter too!

**Cf96**: What I want to know is how he could even read them if he was in standby mode. :P

* * *

In the Shadow of a Doubt

Chapter 7: A Shadow to the Past

Omega and I emerged rather charitably out of the portal, ending up in Soleanna and _definitely_ in the past. The town's clock tower struck noon behind us, and I just wondered what day it was.

_But that wasn't my most pressing issue._

I hurried off the ground and searched the area quickly, but Mephiles was nowhere to be seen. Out of paranoia, I glanced at my shadow, but thankfully it went along with my movements and _wasn't_ staring back at me with hideous eyes.

"It appears Mephiles is no long here," Omega announced blatantly, causing me to put a hand on my forehead. "I will assist in pursuing him."

"Thank you, Omega," I stated, giving him a nod. "I appreciate it."

"It is all a part of the mission," he declared, but I shook my head.

"No, I meant about how you waited around for such a long time just to help me," I clarified. "That was…unanticipated."

"We have been through much, Comrade Shadow. We must stick together."

His tone was bit emptier than it usually was, which was saying something since he was a robot; it caught me a bit off guard. He certainly wasn't lying, but…it felt like he wasn't giving me the whole story either.

_These people_ knew_ I hated things being kept from me…!_

Pushing the thought away, I was about to head off to search for Mephiles again when my communicator went off. I was expecting it to be Rouge, only to find someone angrily yelling at me on the other end.

"Agent Shadow! We've lost contact with Agent Rouge!" blared the GUN Commander, and I tried to glower at him through the communicator.

"What the heck? How can you NOT contact her- her communicator was just fixed not that long- er…yesterday? It was fixed yesterday. I think."

_Damn time travel…I completely forgot that I had no idea what day it was, and now I sounded suspicious and slightly crazy! What if we were too far back!?_

"Mmm, well, we last got a call from her in the warehouse district of Soleanna New City a few hours ago, but her signal faded when she headed into the jungle to rendezvous with E-123 Omega," the Commander explained, and my eyes grew wide. "She couldn't have gotten far, but I recommend searching the warehouse district first just to be sure."

"Ah, yeah, sure," I stammered, running my fingers through my quills. "But, just as a _friendly _reminder…what day is it?"

"…three days after the Festival of the Sun, one o'clock on the dot," the Commander grunted gruffly. "You've been in Soleanna since the day before yesterday."

"…like I said, just a friendly reminder," I coughed, proceeding to hang up. "I'll find Agent Rouge, don't worry. Over."

I cut him off before he could ask me anything and whipped about to face Omega. "Omega! It's the Day of Disaster!"

Omega's sensors whirled before he replied. "No data found on 'Day of Disaster'. Elaboration required."

"It's Doomsday, Omega," I explained quickly. "The princess of this country is fated to die today, and this is when the world comes to an end, and the humans somehow pinned the blame on me, but I think they may have really been after Mephiles. Sonic's supposed to be working toward preventing this, but…"

_Silver…_

"…someone's still trying to kill him," I added quietly, balling up my fists. "And if that happens, we really can kiss the future goodbye."

So much was going on today, and yet here I was, standing in the dark of most of it. From what I could tell, I knew the most about Mephiles (which wasn't much), this Silver kid was apparently enrapt with Iblis, and Sonic was the most informed about the princess' role in everything…which also wasn't much.

_And I couldn't make any big or hasty decisions without knowing as much as I could._

Omega faced me and raised his hand. "What is your course of action, Comrade Shadow?"

To be perfectly honestly, I didn't know. What I _should_ do was dangerous to do, and what I _wanted_ to do would be risky…

_My life has always been full of complicated choices. _

"Let's…just go find Rouge and work from there."

Omega agreed and thundered after me, skating toward the entrance to the warehouse district. Luckily we were already in the New City, so finding the warehouse didn't take long at all. And Rouge, being as ostentatious as she was, wasn't hard to spot either. She was just walking around through the street, messing on her communicator, and I assumed the GUN couldn't contact her was because she was busy with another call.

_Ah, incompetence._

However, upon hearing Omega approach more so than me, her ears pricked, and she glanced in our direction. Her eyes instantly lit up as she sauntered over, visibly relieved to see us both.

And yet, she merely approached us and greeted us with a simple "Hi!"

She then glanced at Omega curiously before turning to me.

"How is he-?"

"It's Future Omega," I enlightened. "We figured it should be fine since he'll never come in contact with his past self."

Rouge seemed surprised, but eventually she smiled as floated over to Omega's shoulder and took a seat.

"Well, I suppose that works out for us then, since I'd hate to never see this guy up and about again," she hummed, resting her arm on Omega's head. Omega merely bleeped. Her teal gaze rolled back over to me as she frowned. "Anyway, strangely enough, Eggman's machines have been looking for you in the forest. I just headed out of there myself when they started to become too much to handle."

She winked at me with a sly grin.

"What did you do _this_ time, hon?"

"Nothing," I grunted, shaking my head. "Their target is probably Mephiles, and for whatever reason, he opened the time rift that let me come back to my proper time."

Rouge became discomforted as Omega started whirling his hands around.

"What IS Eggman up to? And just WHO is Mephiles?" he bleeped.

_Many questions I wish I knew the answers to myself. _

"I'm gonna go ask him directly," I declared defiantly, tired of being in the dark about all this.

I knew in the past that Eggman was never the most cooperative person until his life was threatened, but all of this could be tied to him, if not blamed for. He wanted the Flames of Disaster. He wanted the princess. He had the Scepter of Darkness that contain Mephiles for whatever reason, and with his new Egg Carrier set to depart later today, now was as good a time as any to sit him down and have a friendly little _chat_ with him about what was going on now.

So I started heading off to go get him, but I suddenly felt something grab my wrist, finding that it was Rouge, who was showing a sign of emotion other that feigned aloofness at long last.

"Hey, wait a sec," she said, gripping me tighter.

"I can handle this alone," I told her, tearing my wrist away. She seemed visibly hurt as she pulled it back.

"I know that but-!"

"You two keep track of Mephiles while I'm gone," I ordered, marching off. "I shouldn't be gone long if everything goes according to plan."

Rouge winced as I walked away, but this quickly changed to anger as she stomped her foot.

"Hmph! After all I do to help him out and when he finally shows up again, he leaves without even returning my hello!"

She put her hands on her hips and flashed her fangs.

"Still about business as usual…it seems his little trip hasn't changed him."

"But his meeting of Mephiles has," Omega stated. Rouge blinked and turned to Omega for more clarification, but the fighter robot merely whirled his hands around impatiently. She frowned again before deciding that getting a jump on Mephiles was more important than giving me back up.

"This is Rouge; GUN HQ?" she called to the communicator, with several agents on the other end cheering excitedly.

"Agent Rouge! We thought we lost you again!" one of the random agents replied. She laughed nervously then instantly changed to a poker face.

"Ah, no. But listen, I know I owe the Commander a report, but I need you pull all available data on an item known as the Scepter of Darkness for me…"

She threw a nod Omega's way, and the two of them were left with no choice but to wait now.

. . .

I did feel slightly bad about dumping a random mission unto the two of them right away, especially since several minutes ago I didn't know if I could escape the future or not. But the present was now, and I had to do my own part to avert our timeline from that horrendous future.

_Now, where was Eggman?_

"There's no way he could be at his base," I pondered, trying to think it through. "…but I guess I don't know that for sure."

Thus, I grabbed the nearest civilian and forced them to tell me what they knew.

"You there! Tell me all you know about the whereabouts of Doctor Eggman, now!"

I…might've come off as a_ touch_ abrasive, because the man I grabbed was a writhing puddle in my grip.

"I don't know nothing, man!" he wailed, decomposing right then and there. "Everything you need to know can be read in the Soleanna Daily, though-!"

"Where can I get one?!

"Ah, AH! Take mine, just please, leave me alone…!"

He threw the newspaper he had on me at him, so I released him, and he scrambled away like his life depended on it. I looked after him like he was nuts, then proceeded to peruse the paper. Much of the recent happenings have been showcased throughout the pages, between Eggman's initial attack the day before I arrived and how Sonic had whisked in and taken care of it, Elise's various kidnappings, and the doctor's latest sightings.

And today, a train with an Eggman Enterprises logo was seen heading through the forest.

"The Doctor's travelling by train?" I asked, bewildered. "Shoot! I've got to get to the station!"

I couldn't figure out for the life of me why he was using such conventional methods of transport, unless he wanted to remain innocuous, but then why plaster his logo on the outside of it?

_I never would come to understand that man…_

Civilians were left flying behind me as I skated my way to the station, forging onward at a breakneck pace. A few police officers made some attempts to get in my way, but they were busy with other people at the moment, though I was breezing by too quickly to really tell who they were…not that it was any of my business.

When I reached the train station, more policemen were blocking it, but I gave them a harrowing sneer as I kept up my speed, the men all standing guard until the last possible second when they buckled out of the way.

_A smart move on their part._

. . .

In the back of my mind, I imagined that Sonic would be tailing after Eggman too, but to save the princess instead of sitting down for a chat with the doctor himself. My lingering suspicions were proven right when I heard Sonic's voice wailing after Eggman, and Eggman heckling him and telling him to go save a passenger train before some rigged bombs blew it to smithereens.

"That's just pathetic," I huffed, shaking my head. "Using innocent people as bait…he's really gone ballistic."

I just needed to talk to Eggman for a few minutes, then Sonic could pummel him later if he so desired. But still, by using the passenger train trap to distract Sonic –and I knew he'd have no choice but to take the bait- that would give Eggman ample time to gain some distance, on both Sonic _and_ me.

_So while Sonic saved the people, I'd slow down Eggman's train and help the both of us._

When Sonic was long out of earshot, whisking away to go attend his heroic duties, I kept direct tabs on Eggman's train, hearing him cackle loudly over his intercom.

"Oh ho ho ho…Sonic's just wasting his time! He's never going to catch me!

I narrowed my eyes and sneered. Dealing with this guy in the past had been a complete pain, but he was the only one who even knew a shred of information about Mephiles' origins, and if I was going to stop his grand plan, then I was going to need that intel! Thing was, I now needed a way to slow Eggman's train down; I could skate pretty fast, but I couldn't do it forever. As I paced alongside it for the time being, it then occurred to me that Eggman had to have some extra explosives around, seeing that he was dead set on hindering Sonic…so why not use his own foresight against him?

The plan was forming in my mind as I took out a few robots ahead with some well-timed Chaos Spears, letting nothing deter me from Eggman's train. They were adamant in standing in my way, but after sawing them in half with a spin dash, their threat was all but gone.

"Now, what were they so desperate to guard…?"

The area was run down and looked like it hadn't been set foot in for years, with crates stacked up almost to the ceiling. I pushed some of them over and uncovered a switch of sorts, giving it a press. It didn't cause the barbaric explosion I was hoping for, but a barrier did appear across Eggman's track, instantly sending him into a tizzy.

"Whoa! The barrier's blocking me!" he boomed to some of his robots. "Hurry up and take down the barrier!"

"…not the destruction I wanted, but at least I slowed him down," I mused, rushing over to his train and punching and kicking the heck out of it. My attacks were so brutal that the entire engine shook with every blow, and Eggman's shouts to get moving grew louder and louder until the barrier dissipated and he charged straight ahead once more. I grunted and veered to the left to take a short cut, though it only proved to hinder me rather than help me.

"Argh, conveyor belts!" I roared, struggling to skate across them. It also didn't help that Eggman had situated his drones in the area as well, but I reduced them to scrap in mere moments once I finally made it out of the conveyor nightmare. They were like paper with how easily they could be taken down- a single touch and they'd fall apart!

_Maybe Eggman was running out of materials?_

I didn't have time to dwell- the train was chugging along down below me, and the most direct way for me to catch up with it was to bound across some scales perched high above the rails.

"This scale is fragile…I'd better just run across it."

Telling myself that it still wasn't the most bizarre thing I've ever done, I sprinted across, activating my jet shoes and working myself into a rhythmic skate again. The scales shook violently when I thundered across it, eventually leaping down into another worn building filled with robots. The doctor's train was approaching quickly, so I was going to have to work fast.

The Egg Shooter wasted no time in taking shots at me, with me sliding under their fire and kicking them in their torsos, followed by curling into a ball and barreling through the ones approaching from behind me. I then teleported into the air and struck the levitating drone to the ground, finishing them off with powerful punches. When Eggman's whistle screeched out of the blue, I instantly started searching the area for a switch to activate the next barrier.

"Oh come on! Why can't these things be out in the open?!" I hissed, blasting away some more crates but finding nothing. After tearing through a bunch more debris, I located the switch on the wall, skidding over and slamming my fist against it.

"What a hassle," the doctor grunted, a new squad of robots arriving to quell the interference. "I'm going to take this barrier down right now!"

"I'm taking YOU down right now!" I shouted back, created a small Chaos Blast in my hands and throwing it towards the engine. Metal splintered off and a huge dent was gouged into the side, so I kept creating smaller blasts and hurling them into the casing. Eggman finally threw his head out the window, and upon seeing it was me attacking his train, his mustache stood out on end.

"Why you little…!"

"Stop this train now, Eggman!" I demanded, but he grinned sleazily at me and pulled his head back inside.

"Never! I've got precious cargo that I need to deliver! And will you look at that- my robots destroyed that troublesome barrier you put up. Now, farewell!"

Eggman's hand waved me off, before he snapped his fingers and sent down two bulky androids down to keep me occupied. The train charged down the tracks and disappeared through a tunnel, which naturally ticked me off.

_Oh, how I hate that man…_

My aura was blood red at that point, and I did not have the time to waste on these two bucket heads. The moment they even decided to step close to me, I expelled a ton of Chaos Energy, forcing them over the edge of the platform we were on without so much as a fighting chance. From there, I wasn't sure how I could beat out the train on the other side of the tunnel- I had hit a dead end on my part.

"Wait…is that…?"

I looked up and over to my right, locating an abandoned path through the side of the cliff that looked like it had been destroyed, and that the current track through the tunnel had been built to replace it. In theory, they still should lead to the same place…and who knew? Maybe the old path was shorter.

"I'll take my chance," I declared, warping up to it and beginning to skate. It was dark, dank, and cold, but at least there were no robots around. It also didn't last very long, as I suddenly found myself careening into the valley ahead, where Eggman's train had a ridiculous head start on me.

_Well, so much for my plan._

As I clenched my fists angrily and tried to come up with another plan, I noticed a discarded motorbike propped up against a rock. Raising an eyebrow, I headed over to inspect it. It was in perfect condition, so I couldn't imagine why anyone would just leave it here, and with a closer look, it resembled a motorcycle that I had driven through Lethal Highway before.

"…why do I have the urge to ride this- I don't need it," I grumbled to myself, finding myself standing the bike up straight and sitting on it. "…it's a really good thing that I look cool riding this thing."

…_Personal opinion, of course._

Revving up the bike, I took off forward, cruising over the plains at a speed I hadn't been expecting. Previous vehicle experience proved that such things were slow, but here…it was moving pretty decently. It was _really_ hard to keep it straight though, and I zigzagged all over the place, coming dangerously close to veering over the edge or slamming into the fence.

_Now I knew why someone had left it._

"Bad idea, bad idea!" I hissed to myself, miraculously making it over a ramp and over a ravine. "Freaking bike, obey me…!"

Even the slightest nudge or turn was enough to send me careening, yet it had a tendency to drift to the right, so I found myself constantly trying to keep it straight. The whole ordeal was especially nerve-wracking when I just barely managed to jump over some cargo trains, and I was writing my will in the back of my head.

Something then whizzed between my ears, and I flashed my fangs.

"Great, now what?!"

Turned out a whole squad of robots were lying in wait for me, sparing no expense in trying to shoot me off the bike. Well, the bike had offensive attacks too, with me pressing my thumbs against a switch that enabled me to fire bullets back.

"You think those attacks can keep me away?!"

Robots went down in droves and piles upon piles of scrap were discarded in the aftermath. The bike cruised over them without any trouble, though the downside to the guns on the bike was that they took forever to reload. A few extra bullets were stored in a hatch behind me, but with the majority of the robots cleared, I didn't want to waste the time.

Eventually I caught up with the train, and I immediately prepared to deal the finishing blows to it. The guns on my bikes served me well, destroying each of Eggman's cargo carts one by one, allowing me to inch closer to the main engine. The bike was camouflaged by the darkness in the tunnel, and plus, I was on the side opposite the where Eggman's window was.

_I was destroying it bit by bit and he couldn't do a thing about it!_

Finally with the last cart destroyed, I reloaded my bullets a final time and let loose with everything I had. The engine sustained so much damage that Eggman was forced to slow it down in another tunnel, though it didn't completely come to a stop.

That was all I needed, though.

With the train's slower speed, I tossed the bike into the ravine and skated after the train, closing in on it enough to grab onto a bar and lifted myself onto the roof. I knew Eggman was in the front most car, in the engine room most likely, so I worked my way to the front of the train, punching a dramatic and gaping hole in the train's ceiling, and jumped on down.

Eggman was sitting in his chair, staring at the blue screen before him with various bits of data displayed all over it. He didn't appear to be too particularly interested with me, due to how still he was, but I also couldn't tell for sure because his back was toward me.

He did look up to inspect the gaping hole I'd created in the ceiling, and a short sigh escaped from him.

"Wouldn't the _door_ have been easier?"

"Probably, but you wouldn't have let me onto the train otherwise," I responded. "What, don't like people dropping in on you?"

A grunt left him this time as his white chair swiveled around to face me. "Not when it's you, because you always want something from me that I'm not so willing to give."

I narrowed my eyes and snarled at him. "Well if you'd be agreeable every once in a while, I wouldn't have to go to the lengths that I do."

"Whatever- I know you Shadow, always eager for the full story, and always pining for every last detail so you're left with absolutely no doubt about anything." Eggman visibly did not want to deal with me, leaning his head on his fist as he glared at me. "So, what do you want now?"

His detachedness was bugging me, but lashing out now would guarantee a tight-lipped response.

"Who is Mephiles?" I demanded to know, feeling my quills sharped at the mere mention of his name. "And why are you trying to capture him?"

"If you want to know, you should go find him yourself," he dismissed, rising from his chair. My teeth ground together irritatedly, not taking my eyes off this sick and twisted doctor.

"I already did," I murmured, resisting the urge to punch him out. "He's got some vendetta; some plan, but I don't know the first thing about him, or what it is I'm truly up against…"

Mephiles exuded mystery, with his knowledge of me, his manipulating of Silver, and his determination to kill Sonic…it all added up to _something_, but what was it exactly that was being plotted? And most importantly, what were his motives, and what was he planning to gain from it all?

Eggman apparently noticed me thinking really hard, for he folded his arms behind his back and spoke in a bold manner. "I almost feel bad watching you struggle, so here's a hint…it's all linked to the Soleanna disaster that occurred ten years ago."

_The disaster ten years ago…the one that Rouge had mentioned in Kingdom Valley?_

"…The Solaris Project," I breathed, the gears turning in my mind.

"Indeed." Eggman stroked his mustache as he waddled toward me once more, the intensity in his eyes hidden by only his dark-framed glasses. "When you capture Mephiles, you must bring him to me. _Then_ I'll tell you the truth about Solaris."

He sat and got comfortable in that hideous chair of his, looking pretty proud of himself. He leaned back, rested his arms on the armrests, and put one leg over the other, simpering devilishly at me. Meanwhile, I was stuck in thought, thinking about his proposition.

Eggman had ended up with Mephiles to begin with anyway, considering that was the whole reason Rouge had come to Soleanna, and in turn my reason as well. But if Mephiles had a connection to the disaster that had happened ten years ago, then…what happened?!

It was just like with my amnesia- I had a ton of puzzle pieces to put together, but I just couldn't get them to fit.

And really, was I going to waste my time following Eggman's request? He accused me of constantly demanding things, but he always wanted something in return! Plus, with his quest to rule over time, Mephiles would probably just give him another key to unlocking that dream, and after seeing the state of affairs the future was in, giving Eggman any sort of power like that was out of question.

_Since I wasn't going to take orders from him, that meant I couldn't get my answers._

Well, fine. I'd figure something else out eventually. I didn't respond to his demands, instead catching sight of Sonic running away from the train out the window, with the princess in the safety of his arms. He had managed to get in and out of the train without Eggman noticing –maybe even thanks to my intrusion- but then, I saw something else I hadn't been expecting.

_A light-colored hedgehog trailing Sonic from above._

A sense of alarm filled my body; a sense of danger rising and making my quills bristle. Not wanting to give Eggman any reason to be suspicious –but I think he already knew too- I quietly and calmly proceeded to exit the train, a new goal in mind.

_And I walked right out the door._

. . .

As soon as I'd left the train, I caught Eggman flying overhead in his aircraft, heading in the direction that Sonic had been running in. Growling because I certainly didn't need to tack on another problem to my list, I picked up the pace, skating over the grass and leaving some of it charred from the fire of my shoes. Eggman must've been really determined to catch up with Sonic because I had lost him, and my trail toward where that mystery hedgehog went.

"Grah, I need a better vantage point…"

I warped onto a cable above, grinding my way forward and keeping a sharp eye out for anyone. For the longest time, I came across nothing, like everyone who I'd seen had simply vanished. By the time I reached them, Eggman was getting away with the princess once more, and that foreign hedgehog had Sonic at his mercy.

"…it's time to end this," I heard the pale hedgehog insist, and Sonic was pressed to the ground, making a face that looked like he was praying silently. My eyes widened and I cursed under my breath- it was gonna be close!

_But I made a promise to Sonic that I intended to keep._

Just as the killer went to put an end to all that was Sonic, I jumped down from above, putting myself between him and Sonic, and silently telling him to back off with a display of my fangs. The awkward kid staggered backwards upon seeing me, and whatever mysterious hold he held over Sonic had vanished, with the blue blur sputtering and hacking behind me.

"Who the-?!"

As I knelt in front of him, I was finally able to get a good look. His quills were really disheveled, with two in the back that were longer than they needed to be and five splayed out in the front that I couldn't even fathom their purpose. His boots and gloves were lined with a neon glow, a sign of the power that flowed through him, but with the stance he was currently in, I knew he wasn't terribly proficient. And now, he was staring down at me with dazed gold eyes framed in black, and I had to admit…he didn't really have the face of a killer.

_But he definitely had the DRIVE of one!_

"Mephiles…?" he inquired, almost sounding betrayed. "Why are you getting in my way!?"

_Oh he did NOT-!_

He was mistaking me for Mephiles! Sure the guy had stolen my likeness, but considering my fur was streaked _red _and much bolder than Mephiles' had been, it was incredibly insulting.

_It was already enough that demon was trying to insist that we were practically the same. _

"I'm _Shadow_," I clarified curtly, folding my arms and staring the guy down until he was uncomfortable. "…Shadow the Hedgehog."

I then looked down to see how Sonic was holding up, and considering his was up on his knee again, he looked like he was fine. I gave him a nod to tell him I'd handle Silver, and he returned the gesture with his cheesy smile and a thumbs up. I smirked a bit myself when he bolted off to go save Elise…

…_and yes, I was left to deal with_ him.

"Silver the Hedgehog…" I began, and he seemed shocked to hear me voice his name. "…I know so much about you, yet this is the first time we've met."

Silver started spluttering all over the place, lifting his fists purely in defense. "How do you know who I am?!"

"I hear you've been doing a lot of meddling in the past where you don't belong, and I'm here to put an end to that." I gestured toward the direction Sonic disappeared in. "Killing that blue fool won't solve any of your problems; it will only increase them!"

Silver became downcast and angry at my words, pointing accusingly at me. "You're with him too! You're one of the ones that wishes to see the world fall into disarray!"

"Oh trust me, I've seen what a depraved world you come from, and I assure you that my actions, and Sonic's, don't lead to the future you were born in." I tried to be calm, but Silver was literally all over the place, refusing to listen to a word I said.

"N-No! I saw the Iblis Trigger! I saw what he's going to do today! And I trust what Mephiles said!" he cried desperately, his hands glowing green. I stood my ground though, watching him carefully.

_It was like he was ready to blow. _

"_You_ don't understand, _Amy_ didn't understand, _Sonic_ didn't _understand…no_ one does!" he shouted, fisting his quills in his hand. "For so long, I've had no way of accomplishing what I needed to do, and now, I finally have something to believe in again…and everywhere I turn, people oppose me and tell me it's wrong!"

Silver glowered at me, his teeth grinding tightly together.

"How is that wrong when I'm only doing what is right?"

I could only shake my head- this kid was terribly confused and lost; he was directionless, and _he _was the one who didn't understand what he was talking about. Could he not see that Mephiles had no wish to help him, that he was only being used to do the dirty and put the pieces in place for Mephiles? Even though I was in the dark too, I was still more aware of things that he was.

"Perhaps it's not you that's in the wrong, but what you've been told that _makes_ you wrong," I suggested. "I'm telling you, killing Sonic will only bring forth that which you're trying to prevent…"

He was breathing heavily at this point, even though we hadn't even moved yet. I couldn't tell if he was angry or frustrated or trying not to cry or_ what_, but the amount of emotion his expression displayed was overwhelming.

"Don't get in my way," he stated darkly, suddenly manipulating himself with his powers and levitating above the ground. "I have no reason to doubt what Mephiles has told me, and you're not going to change my mind now! It's no use!"

Silver then blasted up and backwards, landing on a still conveyor belt above us. He stood straight and called forth on his powers until his entire body started to glow, taking hold of a myriad of crates, boxes, barrels and any other junk that happened to be lying around, making them orbit around him.

"How about THIS?!"

They suddenly came flying down at me; I thrust my fist on the ground and expelled a Chaos Blast, hitting all of the projectiles he sent down at me and splintered them into several pieces. Looking up, I saw him gaping at me, but no amount of apologizing would get me to back down now.

"Hmph, I'LL give you something to doubt…!" I boomed, standing up and dusting myself off. "Well, I _won't _hold back! Here I come!"

_I kid you not- he screamed._

He had started to run off his perch from above, but I snarled and sent one Chaos Spear after another on him, utterly destroying the place he was on but somehow managing to miss him each time. He floated his way just out of my reach, but when I aimed my spears ahead of him, they nailed him in the chest and knocked him right down.

"Argh, no…!"

He thudded to the ground with a dazed look, with me running up and collapsing into ball form. Silver saw me coming like a buzzsaw, quickly rolling out of the way and retorting by slamming a metal block on my head.

"Ouch…!"

Silver was glowing again, his face grave as he took advantage of my grounded state. He directed a horde of crates at me again, but I spun around on the ground, sending kicks and punches upwards and breaking every projectile he sent at me. I then worked myself close enough to him to sweep his legs out from under him, making it _his _turn to take to the ground.

"You should've taken your chances with Amy, not me!" I exclaimed, making a condensed Chaos Blast that I then threw at him. He yelped and skidded across the yard, with me running after him afterward. "If you refuse to listen to reason, maybe you'll listen to my fists!"

I went in to punch him, but he took a psychic hold on me at the last second, sweating and panic visible on his face.

"Why are you wasting your time with me?" he asked, standing up as I writhed under his control. I managed to move my arms a bit, but I couldn't entirely break free. Not yet, anyway.

"I'm trying…to stop you…from making a huge mistake…" I stammered out, now able to move my legs.

"Yeah? Well that's a mistake on YOUR part!" he announced, increasing his hold on me tenfold. I managed to roll my head down to face him, and when I did, he wasn't looking so confident anymore. I lifted my feet towards him and activated my jet shoes, allowing myself to not only push him away, but to give me some distance away from this lunatic…

He must not have been expecting me to break free of his hold, because he was extra bamboozled on the ground, trying to regain himself. I almost felt bad for kicking him while he was down, since he was so clearly out of it, but as long as he was willing to oppose me, I was willing to fight.

"HAH!"

An uppercut spin dash sent him flying upwards screaming, and when he came back down, I nailed him with a Chaos Spear and caused him to soar horizontally across the ground. However, somewhere in the midst of the attack, he had managed to take hold of at least some part of _me_, because the next thing I knew, I was flying straight through an innocently passing train. I'd only grazed the top of it, but it still hurt, especially when I slammed into a rafter beam and fell forward on my face.

"Urgh…"

I was stalled for a moment, giving Silver plenty of time to fly over to me with a herd of barrels at his command, yelling loudly and forcing them all down unto me. I didn't quite have the position to break them all on the spot again, so they came down on me and forced me to the ground again.

_He was really starting to tick me off…!_

His judgment was clouded by what others had told him; he had an incorrect direction for how he could save the world, and he wouldn't listen to reasonable arguments from other people…! …and a realization crossed my mind.

_He was exactly like how _I _used to be._

Confused and lost, not sure of what to believe in or who to fight…the only difference between the two of us was that I hadn't tried to get anyone involved- I just wanted my memories back, but the war with the Black Arms had me spread thin. But this kid? He had finally been given a chance to save the world, and it was the first thing he really had to believe in…

_I could _empathize_ with that._

That stark realization kept me pinned to the ground, which allowed Silver to psychically pick me up again and toss me into the air, followed by striking me in the stomach with a blast of his psychic power. I couldn't even feel the pain as I was consumed with that shock…

_Others had tried to tell me I'd been this way, but to actually see it for myself…_

To think, I had been _this_ misdirected yet determined; this devoted but going about it all wrong…! That had all built up within the course of three months- for Silver that had been his entire life! He had to fight in a world that beat him down, but that very same world could have come to accept his help, if he knew where to give it.

"HEY!" Silver yelled at me, bitter and angry. "At least pay attention when I'm pummeling you!"

_Oh, was he?_

I guess he had crashed a few crates and barrels on me, but I hadn't felt them, thanks to my epiphany. When he went to strike with a rather large metal one, I caught it, then flung it right back at him.

"What the-?!" was all he sputtered out before he was drilled into the ground. I dusted my hands off and sashayed over to him, shaking my head.

"I've thrown _buses_ before. Hurling anything at me is a bad idea."

"Well how about THIS?!"

I rolled my eyes and I warped behind him, just as he threw a ball of psychic energy at me. His jaw went slack at no longer seeing me there, but he certainly knew where I was when I Chaos Blasted him to the other side of the area. As he hurled helplessly through the air, I blew some stray smoke off my fingers and couldn't resist a sinister smirk.

"YAAAAAAAAH!"

Completely against my expectations, Silver spontaneously stopped himself before he unceremoniously collided with the brick wall, coated with that bizarre aura of his as he whipped around to face me with a snarl. He spread out his arms and nearly burst into wispy green flames, and I was forced to watch as he raised two huge cargo boxes off of the bypassing trains that were coming in and out of the tunnels.

_He did not seriously just do that…!_

Sure enough, those boxes now matched him in color, and they were hovering alongside him as he gave me a murderous look. I felt myself recoil slightly- did he even realize what was happening…?

"What do you think you're_ doing_!?"

"What I should've done a long time ago!" he cried back to me, guiding the two freight boxes over me and releasing his hold on them. And frankly, he was an idiot if he thought I was just going to _stand_ there and let them crush me.

I teleported a short distance in front of where I anticipated the freight to land, and sure enough, a menagerie of broken metal and miscellaneous stuff now lay in the wake of the attack behind me. After seeing it for myself, I couldn't believe Silver had just done that. Yeah, he was from the future, but ripping cargo off a train just to attempt to get back at me?!

_Stupid!_

I triggered the rockets on my shoes and took to the air, matching Silver's height above the ground. I stretched out my neck, then threw a heinous glare in Silver's direction. I saw him wince.

"All right. You asked for it."

I mimicked Silver's previous stance, with his arms ready at either side, but I then lifted my hand over my head and started performing many simultaneous Chaos Snaps, bursting energy all around Silver and I made _sure_ he felt it. Somehow in the midst of his panicking, he started to fly away from the onslaught, but he wasn't getting away that easily! I took off after him myself, but he already had the distance on me.

"Get BACK here and fight me!" I demanded, chasing him all around the area. That kid was fighting for his life right then and there, and he certainly wasn't going stop if he could help it. But around the time I was feeling sapped of my Chaos Energy and started to return to the ground, he did too, landing in front of me with an aggressive look in his eyes. Aside from that, he appeared incredibly sluggish, so I figured one condensed Chaos Blast would be all I needed to finish him off. As I started to form it in my hands, I found he was doing the same thing with his psychic energy, glowing just as green as I was glowing red.

I'd been hoping to beat him to the punch by hitting him first, but we went in for the kill concurrently. Our attacks became dangerously close as we leaned inward, and soon enough, my Chaos Blast had mixed in with his ball of psychic energy, and before I could pull myself away, the inevitable explosion happened.

"ARRRRRRRGGH!" "NOOOOOO!"

We were catapulted in opposite directions thanks to the aftereffects, and while Silver landed face first into a pile of dirt, I found myself landing in a really uncomfortable position, with my arm angled really weird, and I was lucky it hadn't dislocated or anything. It still hurt like hell, so I was blessed to have that green Chaos Emerald to heal my wounds.

When I arose again, I could tell that both Silver and I had had enough of the fighting, as I had been much too reliant on my Chaos Abilities, but that was only because Silver insisted on attacking me from far range. Looking at him now, he was almost_ blind_ with indignation, shaking profusely and murmuring something under his breath.

"Heh, you're not even a challenge…"

I hadn't meant to mutter that out loud, but just looking at him, the thought had crossed my mind and escaped out through my lips. Silver_ really_ didn't appear to take kindly to that, and I sort of regretted it afterward. I just wanted this pointless fighting to end; Sonic was long gone, so there was no need for Silver to go after him now, especially since Sonic was rescuing the princess again, and I knew he would avert the Day of Disaster.

I would have_ loved_ to explain that to Silver, but he still had some fight left in him. An unmatched fury ignited in his eyes as he curled his fist and brought it over his head, throwing himself at me in one last fit of pent up rage.

"RAAAAAAAAAAGH!"

I was so done with him that I pulled out my Chaos Emerald, and the sight of it distracted him a little. It started to glow in my hand, and I instantly shouted, "Chaos CONTROL!"

Silver hadn't even come close to me when time slowed to a stop, leaving him stuck with his fist in the air as I casually waltzed my way behind him, disappointed in seeing someone reduced to such mindless rage. I'd been there so I knew what it was like, and I really did wish to fix that if I could…

_But he REALLY needed a reality check!_

So when I removed the pause of time and performed a roundhouse kick to the back of his head and sent him flat on the ground, it felt_ so_ satisfying.

_Maybe I needed to go back in time a little more and roundhouse kick myself, then._

Lying on the ground, his eyes shot over to glower at me, so full of rage and turmoil. To see him so twisted up inside physically pained me, because it reminded me of how I had once felt. But he was so _feisty_, still with the will to battle to the death if he had to, so when he got back on one knee and started to come at me, I tried to tell him it was over.

"Y-You…!" he faltered, not sure of what to say at this point, but I lifted up my Chaos Emerald as a warning.

"Don't bother attacking me again. With a Chaos Emerald's power, I can control time _and_ space. You can't break free."

_I…think I might've said the wrong thing. _

Something in Silver's head must've finally snapped, because his eyes were huge and he was trembling so much that I thought he'd burst. He was clenching and unclenching his hand, like he couldn't fathom what was going on anymore.

"It's no use…! IT'S NO USE!" he howled, eyes darting all over the place. I cautiously took a step back, crouched and ready just in case I had to do something. "I won't…give up…!"

He grabbed his head and started shaking it, squeezing his eyes tightly as if to hold back tears. He fell onto two knees now, using one hand to grab his forehead and the other to keep him balanced on the ground.

"It all depends on me…!" he wailed, sounding so emotionally pained. He pushed himself back up to one knee again, though his head was in both his hands now. "…Can't lose…! Not when I'm _so close_…!"

At that point I was about to ask if he was having a mental breakdown when he suddenly drew out the blue Chaos Emerald, the one Sonic claimed to have had before he was tossed into the future.

_And now it was in SILVER's hands?!_

As he stood back on his own two feet again, I wondered if he was aware of what he possessed, and I wanted to know just what he thought he could do with it. It was like Tails said- only a select few were ever intertwined with Chaos Energy, and I myself only was because I'd been created that way.

_And if he knew to channel his thoughts into power…I didn't know WHAT to expect…_

Some second wind washed over Silver in that moment, holding the emerald high above his head like it was his last hope and let out another dramatic wail.

"RAAAAAAAAAGH!"

When I realized that he was about to do something, I held my own emerald outward and moved to conjure up another Chaos Control, just as Silver jumped forward with his own emerald outstretched.

"Chaos-" I yelled, finding Silver chanting the same thing. His wrist thudded against mine as the two Chaos Emeralds began to glimmer, my ruby gaze locking with his gold one and I wondered just how far he was willing to go in his false attempts to save the future…"-CONTROL!"

See, I was anticipating _just me_ to halt time again to give Silver another piece of my mind, but that didn't happen. The emeralds suddenly sparked just like they had when I used Chaos Control with Sonic, emitting a surge of energy that must've shot through the both of us, because it forced us to recoil away. Once I overcame that unfortunate bit of pain, I looked to my side…and saw a blue space-time rift.

_WHAT THE HELL?!_

I literally gaped over at Silver, who had a stupid and oblivious look on his face and he merely commented "Huh?" at the sight of a freaking rip through time and space that HE had helped me cause. Plus, with the immense confusion that was rolling off of him, it dawned on me that he wasn't even _aware _that he could cause Chaos Control- I didn't even think he realized that it was HIM who was half of the reason the rip existed!

_Oh, this is NOT happening…! _

"You…induced a Chaos Control?" I wondered in disbelief, slowly turning to face him. "_You_ caused a space-time rift?!"

Silver just gaped at the portal. "_I_ caused that?"

_Shoot me, shoot me…!_

"I can't cause a _space-time rift_ by myself, even _with_ an emerald," I elaborated, paralyzed by this revelation. "I thought Sonic was the only other person who could initiate Chaos Control…"

_And I was still floored to discover that the third person to be able to do so had probably learned it just by watching me…for a few SECONDS?!_

It really, _really _bugged me that Silver didn't understand the gravity behind all this –even _Sonic_ would have known how heavy this discovery was- though he almost looked a little proud of himself for learning a new skill, but it didn't last long. His permanently grave expression returned to his face, putting his emerald away and staring grimly at me.

"I won't let anyone get in my way," he told me, tightening his fist. "I'll change the past and save the world!"

_He was trying so hard to do something right…but he was doing something so wrong in the meantime…_

I refused to let him become a murderer when he didn't need to, but I did understand what he was trying to do. Mephiles had him so corrupted in his thoughts though; just like how Black Doom had corrupted me a year ago, and almost succeeded…

I shook my head regretfully and turned away.

"Mephiles isn't trying to help you create a better future. He's _trying_ to eliminate the past!"

I knew where he was coming from; he wanted an answer to fix his problems, so when the answer appeared to come out of the blue, he latched onto it, and he would want to stick with it….until something showed him otherwise.

_And that was going to have to be me. _

"…what?" Silver gagged, and the struggle in his voice was palpable. "What are you talking about?"

"I mean, no one knows the truth about Mephiles, and those that do are intent on keeping it confidential," I enlightened, glancing curiously at the rift we'd created. "I know that he has something terrible in the works, but I don't know the 'why' myself…"

And Eggman definitely wasn't going to share that, even if I did resort to helping him…but he HAD given me that hint.

"…to discover what happened, it seems we must see what took place ten years ago."

Silver looked appalled at my suggestion.

"Wh-what!? How do you know that portal leads to the time and place that…whatever you're talking about…happened?"

_Hmm, he actually had a legit point. _

"Well, what were you thinking about when you thought to use the Chaos Control?" I asked, deciding to start from somewhere. Silver scratched his ear and shrugged.

"…exactly what I told you; my desires to change the past."

And I'd been thinking about how far he would go TO change the past…so maybe, _just_ maybe…

"I think we'll be right where we need to be," I declared, stepping toward the portal. "Now, let's go."

"You beat me up and then want me to follow you into some mystery portal?!" Silver exclaimed in response, sounding flabbergasted.

"You struck first," I pointed out, just before I jumped into the portal. "The choice is entirely yours. Follow me if you want the truth."

Silver reached out to stop me, as if to ask a final question, but I was already gone, ready for my final answers.

_Though I had the feeling things were about to get even crazier…if that was possible._

* * *

***is ridiculously excited for the rest of trilogy from this point on***


	8. The Two Halves of Solaris

**Cf96**: Alas, he does not. Poor Silver. xD

**Katz4**: Thanks! I had fun going over the top with their fight because it had so much potential!

**Christian Ape99**: Sorry for the slight delay, but thanks. ^^;

**Sonicstory fan**: Thank you kindly! ^^

. . .

**So I fiddled around with the stage here; it felt unnatural for Shadow and Silver to just appear in the past and instantly find what they need...they gotta work for it! **

* * *

In the Shadow of a Doubt

Chapter 8: The Two Halves of Solaris

When I emerged out of the other side of the portal, I landed with a heavy thud, followed by another one right after me. I looked over my shoulder to see Silver having alighted next to me, still appearing perplexed but not nearly as hostile as he had been. We stood up slowly, taking in the area around us. We appeared to be in a base of some sort, completely made of reinforced metal, and we were currently standing in the middle of a hall. It was barely illuminated, making it hard to see what rested at the other end, but I was sure we'd find out soon enough.

"Nargh," grunted Silver, grabbing the back of his head and scowling slightly. I gave him a look and he frowned at me. "Don't glare at me like that! I told you that you beat me up! Do you know how many times you slammed me into the dirt?"

_Wimp. I went through a TRAIN. _

Sighing, I took my Chaos Emerald and pressed it to his forehead, which caught him off guard. But once the emerald's calm glow overtook him, he relaxed. When he had been fully healed, I took back the emerald and waltzed on.

"H-Hey, wait! What did you just do?!"

"I healed you. You're welcome," I murmured back.

"No! Ugh, well, _thanks_ but…how'd you do that?"

"There's a lot you don't know about me," I stated simply, working my way down the hall. Silver grimaced and folded his arms behind his head, eyeing me curiously.

"Well, I've got nothing but time."

"Interesting. So do I."

Any more questions from Silver came to an end when we reached the end of the corridor, which, strangely enough, ended with the door to the next area displaced from us by the floor being flooded. I found this incredibly odd, until Silver nudged me and pointed to the ceiling. It was made of glass, so we could see that we were underwater, with fish swimming by and everything.

"A laboratory like this, under Soleanna…" he trailed breathlessly. I was impressed myself.

"It looks like their science was pretty advanced. Hard to believe this flew under the radar of GUN."

I proceed by making my way across the platforms that were hovering above the water, with Silver looking around aloofly before trotting behind.

The whole place was a mechanical marvel, and although I had been in a base before that had reached magma levels, I'd never been in one situated underwater. It left me wondering how they managed to get enough air to breathe down here, or where the entrance was to begin with…

"It's so big and spacious and empty…" Silver commented, in awe at it all. I just opened the door to the next room and glanced around, noticing that it was indeed pretty barren.

"Makes one wonder what all this room is for, and_ I_ wonder just where in Soleanna we're located…"

"I wouldn't know," Silver replied, using his powers to open the way to the next room. I rolled my eyes at his comment and followed him without much of a choice.

"I really wouldn't expect you to."

The silence in the current room was deafening, and with no enemies to fight or anything to fix, it was almost unsettling. I forgot that we were ten years in my past- this was supposedly four years before Eggman had even started plaguing the world with his robots (if Sonic's rough assumption could be trusted) so there wasn't an immediate threat breathing down my back.

_I myself was spending my forty-first year in suspended animation on Prison Island right now._

I just wanted to search the place to find whatever clues I could about the disaster and Mephiles' origins that I could, but Silver kept flittering about around me, like he didn't know what to do with himself. I tried not to pay too much attention to him, breaking a barrier that was surrounding a spring, but he was shuffling awkwardly and I couldn't take it anymore.

"_What_?" I finally snapped at him, after taking the spring to reach the higher area. Silver had simply flown to the top, but after hearing the sharp sting in my voice, he winced instantly.

"S-sorry," he stammered, rubbing the back of his head. "It's just…I really don't know what to say right now…"

_Then don't say anything at all._

Truth be told, I was still hesitant to talk to him after that nasty confrontation and our fight, and I really couldn't convince him of anything otherwise until I could show him where the doubt in Mephiles lied. I didn't even know for sure, but I did know that Sonic's death wouldn't lead him to the absolution of his future that he so desperately desired.

And yet, at the same time, I wasn't really appreciating the awkward silence or the stiff questions he was giving me, but I was never good at getting a conversation going. Still, I didn't know much about this guy other than he was from the future and reminded me far too much of myself, so now was as good a time as any to get a better picture of him.

"How old are you anyway, kid?"

_Yeah, I sure know how to break the ice._

Silver jumped upon being spoken to, though he composed himself and answered casually. "Fourteen. Why, how old are you?"

I shrugged and folded my arms behind my head. "Guess I'm physically sixteen now."

"What?! You're only two years older than me?! _Why_ do you keep calling me kid?"

"Actually, I'm two hundred and thirty-six years older than you," I pointed out with a smirk and a shrug. "Which is _counting _the fifty years I spent in suspended animation and my life beforehand."

My albino hedgehog companion was naturally taken aback by this revelation, almost tripping on himself. "No way…how could you have possibly spent so long in suspended animation?"

"I told you, there are a lot of things you don't know about me," I insisted, not really wanting to go down that road. "Besides, I'm sure your story is far more interesting."

"Yeah, sure," he mumbled, using his powers to sit back in midair. "If 'interesting' is spending your whole life fighting something you can't overcome. I can't expect anyone in the past to understand it- they've had it too good to empathize with what I know…"

"You'd be surprised," I rumbled lowly, my footsteps echoing down the hall. "There may be people in the past that understand you more than you realize."

Silver rolled his eyes and folded his arms, turning his gaze away from me. "I wish that was the case. Then maybe all of this wouldn't be so hard."

"Then imagine this," I started slowly, and his ears pricked in interest. "Let's say a hedgehog, just like you, felt like the whole world was against him…he only wanted one thing and one thing alone, but everywhere he turned, people were telling him what to do and trying to pull him in directions different from what he believed."

I scowled a bit, feeling the faded sting of pain return.

"At first, he thought that the first person who approached him with the promise to help was the one he could trust above all else, but after several hardships, and the encouragement of friends he wasn't sure he had, he finally realized that what he was doing was wrong, learned to go against that person who attempted to corrupt him, and finally got what he was looking for…"

"…and who _was_ this hedgehog?" Silver susurrated. I didn't even turn to look at him as I jerked a thumb at myself.

"Me, about a year ago. I was pretty much in your exact situation."

_And was it one heck of a ride. Those two, almost three days of turmoil were some of the hardest I'd ever had to endure._

Living in the past was something I promised not to do anymore, but I couldn't forget, especially since that experience shaped who I am now. It hurt –it still hurt- to think back on how constantly I felt like I was betrayed, but looking back now, who I needed had always been by my side, and who I didn't need had never been with me to begin with.

_And I needed Silver to understand that. _

"You're saying that Mephiles is the person I shouldn't trust, and the likes of you and Amy and even Sonic are the ones I should listen to?" Silver asked after the longest silence. He looked incredibly uncomfortable.

"I can't coerce you into that choice- you have to make it yourself," I explained. "But seeing as I know what you're going through, I don't want to see you go down the road that I almost did."

Silver looked as though he was thinking it over, but he eventually groaned and slumped against the wall, sliding to the floor. His knees were at his chin and his head was in his hands again.

"That's easier for you than it is for me," he grimaced, shaking his head. "By the sounds of it, you've had a ton of friends that had your back and supported you, but all I have is Blaze, and she's not even around most of the time…"

_Ouch…_

"And here I am, trying to come to terms with what I should do, and now I'm just lost and confused. I don't know what do anymore." Silver raised his head to look at me, a forlorn gaze in his eyes. "…who am I supposed to fight, when I'm not sure what I'm fighting for anymore?"

His words struck a chord with me, and it resonated for the longest time. To feel that torn up inside by your decisions and your actions, and whether they were ideal or not…I thought I was the only one to know such a pain. And honestly, no one should ever be subjected to that…

"Kicking yourself while you're down isn't going to help anything; that's just going to make things worse," I told him, kneeling down to his level and holding out my hand. "You're going to have to roll with the punches, and know when to punch back or step away."

He grabbed my hand, and I pulled him up off the floor. When he was standing straight, I punched my fist into my palm and gave him a stern look.

"It's a lie when you say you're got nothing to believe in, because at the very base of it all, how can you believe in anything, if you can't even believe in yourself?"

During my final confrontation with Black Doom, even when faced with the ultimate threat, I couldn't use the Chaos Emeralds immediately to transform because I doubted myself, and that all of my past that I had learned had truly belonged to me. How could I believe I could stop Devil Doom if I didn't believe that I had the power to do so?

But Silver here was _really_ lacking in self-esteem, and in a future where life was scarce and doubt was all around, where were you suppose to find the spark to believe…unless it appeared to you out of nowhere with the promise of an absolution?

"Even if Mephiles sent you to the past for malicious intentions, I honestly think this was the best thing to ever happen to you," I stated, and he stared back with wide eyes. "Murdering someone may not be what you needed; what you needed was to see what you could be, and then you could go from there…"

Silver turned away, closing his eyes and clenching his fist. I didn't think he had ever heard such words before, and registering them must've been tough.

_But this time…I think I finally got through to him._

"Shadow, I'll be looking out for your truth," he said to me, not quite smiling, but was still visibly happier than I'd ever seen him. "Part of me hopes that you're right about Mephiles, because I never wanted to kill Sonic…but the other part hopes you're wrong, because then that means I was duped…"

"If that is the case, all you have to do is fix what you broke," I pointed out, giving him a nod. "Mistakes happen to the best of us, and forgiving ourselves for them is one of the hardest things we can do."

_Really, really hard._

Silver nodded again before nervously wringing his wrists together. "Yeah, but um…if it turns out that Sonic ISN'T the Iblis Trigger…"

He paused, moving to face me.

"…do you think he'll forgive me?"

"I _think_ he understands that you only did what you did in an attempt to save your world, but he was pretty freaked out about someone hell-bent on trying to kill him," I explained, and Silver winced. "…still, he's also a pretty forgiving guy. He'll tell you that himself."

_Especially if he was even able to forgive __**me**__._

Silver fell quiet once more, but eventually became animated again, looking twenty percent more confident than before.

"There is still a lot I don't know about you, Shadow, but I don't think I need to know," he said, and I raised an eyebrow. "Because one thing is for sure- you're a heck of a better guy than Mephiles, even if you may look that same."

That…actually made ME feel a lot better, since I was still deeply concerned by Mephiles' claims that we' "were just the same", despite the fact I knew it wasn't true.

_Silver wasn't such a lunatic after all._

Once our conversation sort of ran out of steam, we hit a room with a dead end, with the exit door closed shut and the floor nonexistent. I probably could've made my way to the other side of the room, but with the huge pillar situated at the center of the room, it was hard for me to see what lied on the other side. Silver must've noticed me scrutinizing the scene, because he stepped forward and pointed towards the exit.

"There must be a switch for the door up ahead. Leave this to me."

I gestured for him to go ahead, and he cartwheeled forward before springing into the air. His motions were fluid yet direct, flying his way from one platform to the next and maneuvering the lingering crates around out of his way. As he navigated the room, I couldn't help but find myself staring out the large window in the room, revealing the ocean bed and several fish swimming by.

_I guess this base really was aquatic. _

Eventually, Silver made it to the other end of the room, because I could hear him whooping and cheering at his success. He found the switch that opened the way ahead, and the next thing I knew, he was using his powers to pull ME over. Once he set me on the ground, I swatted him away and dusted myself off.

"Hey, don't do that without telling me first!" I exclaimed, and he shrugged aloofly.

"Just wanted to make it quick," he replied hastily, continuing onward. I rolled my eyes and kept on his heels, the both of us darting across platforms that were hanging from the ceiling. One of them started moving as soon as we set foot on it, taking us to the other side of the room where everything was blocked off by barriers. Before I could figure out how to get around them, Silver had already taken some crates under his control, ran down the length of the area, and hurled them across the gap in the room, hitting the switch that was located on a far off platform.

As he performed his little actions, I couldn't help but study the way he moved and used his powers- it was _much_ too compulsory, like he knew that the power was there and he wanted to force it all out at once, and that wasn't the right way to go about it at all.

"You're using too much power," I grumbled under my breath. Silver somehow picked up on my musing and whipped around to face me.

"Did you say something?!"

"Yes. If you HAVE to know," I shot back, leaning against the wall. "You're putting too much power into your abilities; you need to slack back and imagine each attack as an extension of yourself, not as an expulsion _from_ yourself."

He gave me a bewildered look. "Ehhhhhhh?"

Sighing, I pushed off the wall and stretched my arms behind me, loosening my neck.

"Allow me to demonstrate, then." I conjured up some golden Chaos Energy around my fingers, charging up a Chaos Spear. "Now, look. This is what happens if I just chuck Chaos Spears willy nilly just because I _can_."

I started hurling them without any rhyme or reason, with the spears going haywire and shooting in every direction. With less precision than normal and far too much force, they hit the wall I was facing with loud crashes, and Silver cringed with the impact of each strike. Once I felt he got the point, I halted, my head suddenly feeling dizzy.

"You're unnecessarily over exerting yourself with every strike, which is why you get so tired easily," I pointed out, even feeling a little weary myself just from that. "But when you imagine each strike as an extension of yourself, it becomes more natural, and then you're not constantly forcing it out- it just happens and you have better control."

I then performed Chaos Spear like I normally did, hovering in the air for a brief moment to let the energy charge before flinging it forward, completely slicing a nearby metal crate neatly in two.

"…and by doing that, full potential is released," I finished, turning back to face him. "Now when you fight or fly or even simply move objects, it'll not only be stronger, but you won't feel sapped as quickly. Overusing is still bad, but with moderation it's all right."

Silver seemed to be stewing in the information for a while, eventually thinking really hard and lifting a crate up with his mind. It rose smoothly and almost instantly, instead of that slow and shaky motion that usually occurred. His eyes widened with shock and he manipulated himself; instantly he rose above the ground, and he could do more flips –and faster- than ever before.

"Cool!" he chirped, having a tad too much fun gliding around in one spot. Sooner or later he zipped in front of me, levitating slightly above my eye level. "Thanks for the tips!"

"Yeah, well, you were in desperate need," I disregarded. He then frowned as he leaned back in the air, lacing his hands behind his head in deep thought.

"I always knew I wasn't very good with my powers, but I could never figure out why…no one had any similar powers to mine, which is why I'm the only one that can ever subdue Iblis…but I think the real problem was that no one really knew what they were doing. Even Blaze was self-taught."

Silver cast his gaze downward as his frown deepened.

"No one was around to teach me anything, really…"

_Ouch. Even I had the professor and Maria to guide me along…_

"…I'm glad I could help, then," I murmured lowly, turning heel to continue our trek. Silver perked up the slightest bit after that, refusing to linger behind and following me through the rest of the base.

We really were making up for lost time, blitzing through the base in record speed. The following area I was able to wall jump through while Silver merely hovered across, although he was much too fascinated by our surroundings.

"Hey, what're these bubbles for?" he questioned, knocking the silver bubbles out of the way as we worked our way across. I wasn't entirely sure what they were made of either, but I did find I was able to spin dash them, using them as a means of crossing the gaps. Once we made it through, we ended up in a circular room that had a dozen glowing tubes jetting out of its walls. I approached one and proceeded to knock on it.

"Hmm, they're definitely researching something here…" I commented.

"Ack, don't touch that! You don't know what it can do!" Silver scolded me, psychically moving me away from the container.

"What did I tell you about-" I had started to say, but a loud whirling sound followed by a boom and several voices rang out, instantly making Silver and I both freeze on the spot. It was coming through the other door in the room, so I hit the switch to open it, and another loud crash echoed down the corridor.

"…I think we may have found what we came here to find," I stated before starting to skate down the hall. Silver yelped and told me to wait for him, but there was no time.

_If we didn't hurry, we would miss the moment of truth…!_

When we reached the end of the hall where we heard the sounds, we found ourselves on a balcony above a room full of scientists, all of them huddled around a large sparking tube in the center. The larger, bottom part had flickering gold electricity bouncing around in it, while the top part was full of some dark matter.

_It gave me an uneasy feeling._

"What're they doing, Shadow?" Silver asked, pressing himself against the glass for a better look. I leaned forward too, trying to get a better perspective.

"I can't tell, but they're yelling…and it doesn't sound good," I realized.

The glass certainly wasn't soundproof, but I had a bit of trouble making out someone giving out frantic orders.

"An electromagnetic pulse has just been generated! Injecting a decompressing agent…"

The dark matter from above started flashing as it began to seep into the lower container, but it seemed as though the golden energy was refusing the injection and both capsules started vibrating violently.

"No, the level's not dropping!" the same researcher shouted, frantically pressing buttons. "A spatial meltdown is inevitable!"

"My Lord, it's too late!" another one cried, adjusting knobs and pulling down levers. "We've got to take shelter!"

The tall man with the graying beard who appeared to be in charge banged his fists on the control panel, staring into the golden mass disdainfully.

"Why, Solaris? Why do you refuse to listen to my voice?" he demanded, his fist curling in frustration. I squinted my eyes at the sparking form in the tube, deeply disturbed at what was going on.

"Solaris…" I whispered under my breath, narrowing my eyes.

_The Solaris Project…was it truly just for an alternate energy source like Rouge had claimed in Kingdom Valley?_

Before I could gleam anymore information from the scene, a little girl ran into the area, garbed in orange and sporting short, shiny hair. She rushed up to the man in charge and beamed up at him, unaware of the looming danger.

"Father!" she cried out, and the man turned around in stunned surprise.

"Elise!" he yelled, and both Silver and I traded glances.

"The princess?!" we exclaimed at the same time, shock rocketing through our bodies.

_That meant the man behind the Solaris Project was the Duke himself…!_

The realization was heavy, but my quills suddenly bristled like danger was brewing, and my gaze turned to the golden part of the cylinder. It was glowing intermittently, the alarms were going off, and the people within were panicking… I didn't want to, but my mind was flashing back to that attack on the ARK…

_Researchers in panic, things going wrong, innocent girls in danger…_

"Not here," I gritted to myself, hearing the sound of whining glass before it was about to break. The researchers had abandoned the project and started taking cover, the Duke threw himself over Elise…and I knew very well from experience that an explosion was imminent.

"Get down!" I barked to Silver, tackling him to the ground as waves of heat and shattered glass washed over us, following by an ear-splitting boom and sounds of anguished people falling victim to the blast. Shrapnel flew everywhere and I felt it ping forcefully against my back.

"Nrrgh…"

I'm pretty sure I went deaf from the impact of the boom, but I figured out that wasn't the case when the implosion finally died and Silver meekly asked, "Is it over yet?"

When I picked myself up off the ground, feeling shards of glass fall off my person –with Silver totally unscathed aside from a potential bruise on his arm- I saw that the window we had been looking down into the room from was downright demolished, aside from a few pieces here and there. The two of us looked over the edge, with the room devoid of any movement, light, or life in general. Smoke fizzled from where the canisters had once been, and everyone looked like they'd been hurt.

Silver and I jumped down instantly, preparing to survey the damage. I hurried over to the nearest researcher, being the Duke himself, and I tried to jostle him awake, but he was entirely unresponsive. Silver had been doing the same with a different researcher, but his eyes fell unto where the canister had been, watching as a phenomenon took place.

"I-Is that…?"

"The Sun God, Solaris," I stated quietly, in complete disbelief. It was in such a small and contrite form…

_But not for long. _

The golden glow that enveloped Solaris suddenly went out, like all of its energy had been sapped in that one moment. Only a black orb core was left behind, but that quickly cracked and separated. The outer casing dissolved into a gnarly blackish purple gaseous liquid, while what remained of the center was nothing more than flickering flames.

"That flame…it's Iblis!" Silver exclaimed, instantly looking horrified.

"…and the black shadow is the original Mephiles," I clarified, watching as the dark form oozed along the ground. Silver glanced at it too and immediately became perturbed.

"THAT'S Mephiles?!"

Iblis took to the air and started flying down one hallway, while Mephiles evaporated slightly and headed in an entirely different direction.

"They're escaping!" Silver yelped. I punched my fist into my palm determinedly.

"We'll have to split up, then. I'll pursue Mephiles."

"Okay." Silver notably became less unsettled and more focused. "Then leave Iblis to me!"

We began running off after the escaping demigods, until a frail old voice beckoned us back. I looked over my shoulder to see the Duke of Soleanna holding himself up off the ground by his forearm, using his other arm to hold something out to me.

"Seal it…with this…" he trembled, dropping to object into my hands. My heart literally jumped into my throat when I saw what it was.

_The Scepter of Darkness._

This is what Mephiles was originally found in…this is where he had been sealed before it broke and he stole my shade…

_And…it was _me _that was going to seal him in it?_

The weight of the realization sat heavy within me, but thankfully Silver was there to snap me out of the daze. I took the scepter and went off running after Mephiles, leaving the Duke behind to tend to his daughter…who was perfectly fine.

. . .

"Mephiles, I won't let you escape!"

Silver and I had split up to begin chasing our own targets, with me skating down a hallway reinforced with tight laser security. A few of Iblis' monsters that I had seen in the future were lingering about the hall, and I reasoned that the explosion and Iblis' escape must have been the cause of their presence.

_Just when I was getting used to the lack of enemies._

I took out some of them that were flying over my head with Chaos Spear, but I was far more focused on not skating straight into the pink lasers that crossed my path in the metal hall. I managed to maneuver my way around them, but just when I saw the door, a herd of fire lizards jumped down from the ceiling. I was not pleased.

"I thought I'd never have to see you guys again," I grumbled, curling into a ball and spin dashing through all of them. "Too bad I don't have the time for you."

When I cleared them out and sent them flying into the wall, I barreled out the door, keeping my eyes peeled for Mephiles. I was rocketing down another hall when I bypassed something, and I was stuck in such disbelief that I had to backtrack to make sure I was seeing things right.

"I am NOT looking at a motorbike…!"

Yes, I was looking at a motorbike, just like the one I was using to chase Eggman's train. I couldn't even fathom how an exact replica was somehow situated here, just for me in the past…but it was still the same question I had asked about the hang glider in the future.

"I said I'd never do this again, but I could use the firepower," I told myself, climbing onto the bike and giving it a rev. I immediately sailed to the right and slammed into the wall, nearly flipping myself forward off of it.

_GRRRRR…!_

Once I got a fix on the handling, I shredded through the hordes of crates in my path and gunned down the various Iblis monsters that were crawling around the wall and the floor. So many things were going on in that hall at once that I didn't realize that I'd come to a doorway, the wheel catching on the frame and sending me flinging as I feared. I was catapulted into a room that was partially flooded, with crates floating around in the water, and monsters on the platforms and blocking my exit.

"I'll destroy every last one of them!" I avowed, raising my fists to the air and glowing red. "Death to all who oppose me!"

I wiped the room cleared of the fire birds, lizards, and even the worms, all of them hissing at me in repose but not giving them a second chance. I even kicked a few of them into the water, literally hearing their lives fizzle out. It was a one-man massacre, yet with every defeat I induced, I could myself catch up to Mephiles. I was almost there; I was only a few steps behind him…

_He wasn't getting away if I could help it. _

"It's not over…and I can't let down my guard…"

His ominous purple mist was seeping under the door on the other side of the room, so I gritted my teeth and skated after him, busting down the door and tearing down the hallway he was escaping from. He made his way into another room, but this was his downfall, as there was nowhere to go after that. Clenching the scepter tightly in my hand, I broke down the next door and made my way in, ready to face him down.

"Chaos…Control!"

Once I was in the room, I found Mephiles just…resting there, pooling into a puddle in the room. The mist was rolling off of him in waves, and even from where I was standing, I could feel the animosity as I held up my Chaos Emerald and halted Mephiles in his tracks.

"…What?" Mephiles' primal voice rang out to me, sounding somewhat pained. "…stop!"

I hesitated the slightest bit, but I realized that this was all designed from the beginning, and I was against changing any aspect of the past. Mephiles was meant to be sealed in the Scepter of Darkness by me, where then Eggman would get his hands on it ten years later, it would break, and it would lead to the events that had currently happened to me…

…if I didn't follow up with that, Mephiles would roam free here, possibly corrupting someone else's shadow and wreaking havoc from there…but most importantly, the events that I knew would come to pass _wouldn't_, and I'd be returning to a present that I wasn't originally a part of. I'd have screwed up the timeline in ways I was against, and I did not want to do that….and while part of me regretted what I was doing because there was a fifty percent chance I could nip a problem in the bud, there was still a fifty percent chance that I'd make bigger ones in the process.

_Which ALSO meant that my only option was to stop Mephiles in the present. _

With the Chaos Control still active around Mephiles, I spread my arms out with the emerald in my left hand, and the Scepter of Darkness beginning to glow white as it hovered above me.

"Who…who are…you…?" Mephiles murmured, as the power of the scepter began to remove him from the floor, shining like the morning sun.

"I'm Shadow," I stated firmly, maintaining the Chaos Control in the meantime. "Shadow the Hedgehog."

"Shadow…your face…your form…I _will_ remember…" he promised, his gaseous form slowly being sucked into the scepter. Admittedly, my blood started to run cold. "Your death…_certain_. You…will DIE!"

His final few words contained heavy emphasis as the last of him was sapped into the Scepter of Darkness, and with one last brilliant glow the scepter faded down, followed by dropping lifelessly to the floor. I stayed posed for a minute, letting what had just happened settle into my mind.

_Mephiles knew me…because of this moment…and Mephiles was after me…because I had sealed him away…_

At least now I knew that I wasn't missing some secret piece of my past, so all that doubt was gone…but this was almost an even worse discovery. To be sealed up for any amount of time would make anyone go a little stir crazy, and Mephiles was seeking out revenge because of me…but even if his scepter _didn't_ break, Iblis _still _would've been released when Elise died on the Egg Carrier, and despair would have crossed the world and devastated the future…so what significant difference was _Mephiles_ hoping to make?

I felt my eyes soften a little as I scooped up the Scepter of Darkness from the ground. I stared at it a while longer, knowing fully well what was to now become of it…and _why_…

_And I couldn't help but regretfully turn away._

. . .

When I finally made my way out of the base, I discovered that I was in Kingdom Valley, where the old castle still stood strong and large wild animals weren't as abundant. Silver had beaten me outside, cradling Princess Elise in his arms. She looked like she was sleeping, but she jostled slightly in his grip to get more comfortable. Glancing at Silver, he looked just as distraught as I did, and I wondered what went down with him and primal Iblis.

"Did you do it?" he asked me, catching sight of the glowing scepter.

"…yes," I muttered, raising an eyebrow at the princess. "And you?"

He cringed and glanced at the young Elise before hiding his gaze. "…yeah. The 'flames' are properly sealed. It's done."

After taking a few seconds to let it sit, I couldn't help but find myself watching the girl again. "…the flames are sealed in her, aren't they?"

Silver nodded slowly. "…Yes. Her father said that it was the duty of the royal family to appease Solaris and prevent the Flames of Disaster from getting out of hand…and while he regretted putting his daughter into a state of permanent turmoil, he still loved her until his dying breath."

"But if Iblis' flames are in her, and when she dies on the Egg Carrier is when Iblis is released, then Sonic…"

"…is not the Iblis Trigger," Silver finished, suddenly gripping Elise tighter. "Mephiles…he really did lie to me…but what was the point of killing Sonic, then?"

"Maybe he anticipated that he would save her, and putting him out of the picture would guarantee a bad future," I suggested. "Mephiles _does_ have the ability to move through time; it's not entirely a farfetched idea."

"But then wouldn't he know Sonic had nothing to do with it…?"

I shrugged. "Hard to say. Overusing time travel does seem to screw things up. If we weren't here, the Day of Disaster would have come a decade early…and yet, it didn't, so it was by design that we ended up here when we did."

Silver groaned and rolled his eyes. "I'm so tired of time travel…"

_Yeah, me too._

"…but at least I now know how to get rid of Iblis for good, though I'm not going to like it," he sighed. Silver then took a deeper breath and walked over to a large tree next to the exit, where he carefully leaned Elise against it. Thankfully she had survived the ordeal –as we both already knew- but still, to see her all alone was quite depressing.

As Silver watched to make sure she wouldn't wake up –but I'm pretty sure she was somewhat conscious- I looked at the Scepter one more time, placing it on the ground not too far away from Elise. Silver watched the action and nearly doubled over.

"You're going to leave it _behind_?!"

"I can't take it with me; that could lead to two Mephiles' in the present, and one is already enough," I grunted. "Besides, I already know what becomes of it in the future…"

Shaking my head, I pulled out my green Chaos Emerald and stepped away from both Elise and the scepter.

"…it's time to return."

Silver appeared to be lost in thought, because his response was awkward. "Yes! Of…course…"

I thought nothing of it, simply ready to return to my own time once and for all. "Day of Disaster?"

Silver nodded. "Yeah…I've still got a future to save…and nobody's going to die that day if I have anything to say about it!"

He took out the blue emerald and held it proudly, and I found myself smirking.

"Heh, guess your rabid killer days are over," I snickered, and he merely shrugged nervously. "…that was a joke, don't look so terrified. In truth…"

I paused for a second, with Silver leaning in for me to finish.

"…you're not such a bad guy."

"Thanks," he murmured abashedly, fumbling with the Chaos Emerald. "You're not awful yourself, once someone gets to know you."

_Hmph, fine._

We then held our Chaos Emeralds up to the sky, letting the midday sun reflect off of their colors.

"Chaos…" we chanted, locking wrists and thinking of the Day of Disaster. "…CONTROL!"

With a little less surprise this time, a space-time rift appeared, and it was time for me to take care of Mephiles once and for all. Turning to Silver and bidding him farewell a final time, I whisked myself into the portal, ready to end this nightmare before it could start.

_And I now knew just how to do it._

* * *

**Next time with Shadow...ooh, is it one heck of a chapter! Hard to believe we're in the final stretch already...**


	9. Inventing Shadows

In the Shadow of a Doubt

Chapter 9: Inventing Shadows

I emerged unscathed back into my own time, once again in the midst of the city of Soleanna. It was far too quiet in the area, and there was a lack of people around-

"You're back sooner than I expected."

_Never mind._

Rouge was conveniently in the area, waltzing up to me after seeing the space-time rift appear. I stood up from the ground to greet her, then asked what was going on.

"Omega is still in pursuit of Mephiles, and his search led him towards the beach," Rouge explained. "I was just here catching up on the history of Soleanna from some locals. How'd it go with Eggman and why…and how…did you go through time again…?

"Well, Eggman was absolutely obstinate as usual," I explained, tightening my gloves. "But as he told me Mephiles was directly related to the disaster that occurred in the old castle, I found Silver going after Sonic again, so I stepped in, and it turns out Silver can use Chaos Control. We went back in time and found that Iblis, the creature of the Flames of Disaster, and Mephiles are the two halves of Soleanna's Sun God-"

"Solaris!" she finished, and I nodded to confirm. "…but, where's the kid? What else did you find ten years ago?"

"…I don't know where Silver ended up, but we don't need to concern ourselves with him, especially now that I have another piece to the puzzle that is Mephiles…and that's his motive."

Rouge nodded in understanding, trying to figure it out herself. "So from what you told me…Mephiles is trying to fuse back with Iblis?"

"It's a fair assumption," I replied. "But I don't understand…he never accomplished that if only _Iblis_ was seen wreaking havoc in the future. And even if _we_ had changed something, we should've been thrown forward into a world where Mephiles succeeded."

Rouge looked thoughtful too, until she snapped her fingers. "…maybe it was Eggman."

"Pardon?"

"Think about it," Rouge explained, sounding excited. "Eggman was the one who took the Scepter of Darkness, which is why _we_ are even in Soleanna to begin with. It broke, and Mephiles was released…but after that, Eggman only sought out Iblis because he knew he couldn't get Mephiles by himself, so he took the princess-"

"-who has Iblis sealed inside of her," I clarified.

"-and when she died on the Egg Carrier, that's when Iblis was released," she finished. "Now, even if Eggman _didn't_ take the Scepter of Darkness, like in a timeline where we didn't meddle in affairs, he still would have been after the Flames of Disaster-"

"-meaning that Elise still would've died on the malfunctioning Egg Carrier," I finished, having already figured that much out. I was still really confused. "…so whatever happened to Mephiles?!"

We were silent, until Rouge's eyes grew wide. "…what if whatever 'happened' to him…hasn't happened _yet_?"

_Good lord._

"Oh, what theory are you spewing_ now_?" I asked carefully, but she looked legitimately scared when she turned to me.

"…Silver's the game changer," she trailed, and I think my heart skipped a beat. "Silver wasn't in the past during the original run of events, but when we broke the scepter, Mephiles was released, and brought us and himself to the future, where he then went to talk to Silver like Team Sonic had witnessed."

…_oh my goodness…Silver really _was_ a pawn…_

"And now that's Silver's still interfering, we have no idea what the future holds now," Rouge finalized, her wings going straight out in suspense. "Which means if Sonic fails, and Elise_ still_ dies later today, and Mephiles is at the right place at the right time…"

"There's a chance Mephiles can still fuse with Iblis," I exclaimed, curling my fist tight. "…and THAT means we have to seal him away again before that scenario can come to pass, though I trust Sonic and Silver will prevent Elise's death."

"Just in case, we'll have a backup plan!" exclaimed Rouge. "…but, uh, what're we gonna do about this, exactly?"

I stepped away from her, the plan already taking shape in my mind. "I need you to access GUN's database. Specifically, find out what materials the Scepter of Darkness was made from."

"Sure," she acquiesced, though seemed a bit confused. "…but, you haven't answered my question yet!"

Seriously, I glanced over my shoulder and gave her a stern look. "…I _found_ the means to seal Mephiles."

_That kept her quiet._

I started walking off, hoping to gather more intellect from the more knowledgeable locals, while Rouge tagged behind me demanding more answers. When I gave her the cold shoulder, she finally threw up her arms and went on a rant.

"Fine, fine! The guy who needs to know every detail about everything is also the guy who won't share any extra information himself. I suppose I should count myself lucky that I know what I do at this point…!"

"Yes, you should," I huffed back, hastening my pace. "When time isn't breathing down my neck like an angry monster, then yes, I will elaborate more. But right now, it's absolutely crucial that we get a new Scepter, and meet up with Omega. Omega can definitely hold his own, but he can't fend off Mephiles forever."

"So, should we go find Omega first, or get the materials to build the scepter?" Rouge asked. "Even if we made the scepter, by the time we reach Omega it might be too late to get to Mephiles. But if we get to Omega first, then we won't have any way to seal Mephiles…"

_This was a Catch Twenty-Two…_

"Well, you contact GUN like I asked you, find out what materials are needed, and get them to collect them as soon as possible and deliver them to us," I barked out. "While we're taking care of that, we'll go find Omega, and if we're lucky, we'll have the scepter in our hands by the time we reach him."

"And if we don't?"

"…then we'll just have to put our efforts toward helping our friend, won't we?" I responded darkly. Rouge didn't know what to do next, other than lift her wrist up to her face and contact GUN on the spot. I know she hadn't been as directly involved with Mephiles as I have or even Omega had, but I had to get it across to her that time was against us in every way, and no amount of time travel could help us now.

As she toiled away on a call with GUN, I felt my own communicator go off, which was really bizarre, because the only time anyone calls me is when they utterly need something or to give me support in life or death situations. Since I wasn't in a showdown with the leader of an alien race, I was going to guess the former.

"What's the issue?" I bellowed out, although I was a little surprised to find that Amy of all people was the one calling me. I'd heard through the grapevine that she was planning on traveling, but was she in Soleanna too?

_And what did she possibly want from me…?_

Rouge turned away from her call with GUN to add her two cents to my conversation that hadn't even started yet. "We're a little held up at the moment with something important, so this better be good!"

_Thing was, the voice that responded was definitely not Amy._

"What if I told you that Elise is on the Egg Carrier and the future we were trying to avoid is still in effect? Is _that _important enough?"

It had been _Tails'_ voice, and seeing that Tails was a far more reliable source for information than Amy was, I realized that the gravity of what he was saying was heavy. Despite Sonic going after the princess, she still ended up on the Egg Carrier, and with Iblis in her soul and death rapidly approaching her…the Day of Disaster remained a distinct possibility. Even Rouge was concerned with what she heard, only partially listening to her own call as she traded a shocked look with me. We'd both been so sure that Sonic would take care of things, but clearly something had gone wrong…and yet, we had our hands tied with a separate yet equally important issue.

My confusion and discomfort only increased when a foreign voice spoke up on the call- how many people were listening!?

"You mean…the Flames of Disaster will still be released today?"

Before I could express my distaste at someone just randomly popping up in our discussion, Amy piped up, sounding far too chipper for the situation. "That was Blaze, guys- no worries! She's my friend!"

The name rung a slight bell, but it only settled in when Knuckles' dominant voice felt the need to contribute. "Isn't she the girl that was with Silver talking to Mephiles?!"

"Hey, how do you know about that?!" the mysterious Blaze complained, and I couldn't help but be amused- she seemed a lot more knowledgeable than she let in on, and I hadn't even had a glimpse of her face.

"What's she doing with you?!" yelled Tails. "She's with the guy who's trying to kill Sonic!"

"WHAT?! Blaze…!? Not you too! WHY?!" shrieked Amy, and it seemed like she had little clue about what was really going on these past few days, though she _was_ aware about Silver trying to kill Sonic.

_Er, maybe that wasn't so surprising…considering who was on the chopping block... _

"Because Sonic's the reason the future is in flames!" Blaze replied with a fire in her tone, although I detected something hesitant about it, like she didn't want to believe what she said. "But…I lost Silver when he chased him at the train station."

"That's the last we saw of Sonic, too," Knuckles responded. "What do you think happened to the both of them?"

_I happened._

"I don't know about Sonic, but we have no worries on Silver now," I confirmed, and Blaze gasped like she feared the worst, so I quickly clarified. "I stopped Silver form harming Sonic, and Sonic went after Elise…and as luck would have it, Silver and I went back in time ten years, to the disaster of the Solaris Project, and what we learned was that Sonic is not the Iblis Trigger…if anything, it's Princess Elise."

My words completely set Amy off, and I'm pretty sure Tails, Knuckles, Blaze, and even Rouge too could hear how crazed she was at my words. "Wh-what…? What's all this talk about futures in flames and Iblis Triggers and time travel!? What have you guys been DOING?!"

Amy was totally lost on everything, and yet Blaze only served to escalate things. "More importantly, what makes you say that the princess is the true Iblis Trigger?"

"Ooh, someone's a little hot-tempered!" Rouge interrupted again, driving Blaze to screech in retort.

"What?! Why you-"

"-But see, Iblis is actually sealed in Princess Elise, and that Silver friend of yours will tell you likewise," Rouge added on, winking at me and returning to her own conversation. I made a face at her.

Blaze, meanwhile, had softened considerably.

"I…if that really did happen, then Silver's not back from the past yet…"

"He did seem to be lingering a little, though I certainly doubt he stayed behind," I explained, and that appeared to put her at ease for the moment. "After all...there's a problem bigger than all of us on the horizon."

No one spoke up immediately to refute my claim, so I carried on, wanting to make sure everyone was on the same page.

"We're all aware of Mephiles running around, yes?"

Several murmured "yeses" followed, except from Amy.

"Mephiles? Isn't that a place-"

"Continue," Blaze cut Amy off, attempting to keep the discussion focused. "I'm interested in hearing about this development."

_No nonsense. I approve. _

"First and foremost, Mephiles and Iblis…are two halves of the same whole," I proceeded to elaborate, which was almost instantly followed by a horrendous coughing fit from someone that I think was Tails. "And that whole…is the Sun God, Solaris."

"The one that they worship at that weird Sun Festival?" Knuckles questioned.

"The very same."

"It's…real?"

"And apparently it has full manipulation over time," I further supplemented. "Mephiles seeks to fuse with Iblis, and become Solaris…and his soulless thirst for destruction and utter desolation could drive him to unravelling the fabric of time."

"And we WERE in the middle of finding Omega to apprehend him, but SOMEONE interrupted us!" Rouge exclaimed over her shoulder.

"Hey, I was just doing as I was told!" Amy shrieked, and I figured that Tails had told her to add Rouge and I to this wireless meeting of sorts. This was confirmed when Tails spoke up next, sounding hesitant yet diplomatic at the same time.

"Well we only interrupted you because we've got a more immediate problem. I don't know when, how, or why, but Elise is aboard the Egg Carrier, when most of us know that it's going to malfunction and explode and release Iblis!"

"Pst," Rouge leaned over to me. "GUN's got the materials we need…!"

"Excellent," I whispered back, keeping an ear open to the discussion about Sonic's whereabouts. "Tell them to deliver it as soon as possible, and when they approach Soleanna, we'll discuss a rendezvous point."

"Then THAT means Sonic must've saved her from the train station," I heard Knuckles say when I returned my focus. "But…she's gone…_again_…"

"It's like she _wants_ the world to end," Rouge interjected during a pause with her contact. "Not that she's entirely aware of the grand scope of things but, you know. She's thrown us all to the wind through this action! Save us now, sure, but kill us all later-!"

"I…I don't understand…any of this…" Amy whined as she interposed on Rouge. "You knew I was in Soleanna…so why didn't you ask me to help or anything…?"

I actually hadn't entirely known that, and I wasn't sure if Rouge knew either, but I figured it was best to not say anything on that particular matter, especially when Tails started giving her a small pep speech and instructed her to find Sonic, who was bizarrely absent from this "super important exchange of information".

"You…WANT…me to find Sonic?" Amy affirmed.

"Seeing as mine and Knuckles' communicators were confiscated, I haven't been able to check the radar to find him," Tails replied. "But if you check yours, and it turns out that he's nearby, I need you to tell him everything in person."

_Confiscated? Where the heck _were_ Tails and Knuckles, then?_

"Why in person?" Blaze wondered, which was my next question. "What's wrong with her just calling him, as you're insinuating?"

"If she calls him in person, he'll think it's a trap for a date," Knuckles guffawed, and I had to admit that it _was_ a legitimate concern. "It's the only snag in the plan!"

"Shut up, Knuckles!" Amy hissed. "I'll find Sonic in no time flat, no problem! After all, I kept on your heels when Chocola and Froggy were kidnapped, ah?"

_That's SO not something to be entirely proud of, given the circumstances…_

"I…have to apologize, but I need to hear that Sonic isn't the Iblis Trigger from Silver himself," Blaze began again. "I trust him more and I…don't even know who you all are, let alone what you look like…"

"As long as you're not gung ho to kill Big Blue, I'm sure we'd all get along fine for the most part," Rouge added, now finished with GUN. "Not sure how a certain echidna would mind another girl in the group, but-"

_Not the time for your infatuation, Rouge…!_

"In any case, it seems we've all got our work cut out for us," I continued quickly, to which Rouge pouted off to the side. She'd been anticipating a response from Knuckles. "I appreciate being kept in the loop and on being informed on other happenings, but I've got a psychopathic time-travelling demon to seal up."

"Ah, Shadow, always with a dark sense of humor!" Amy laughed lightheartedly. I felt my face go blank.

"None of that was a joke."

_The deadpan was so strong at that moment._

"As long as someone's out there doing something, that's all I can ask at this point," Tails sighed, sounding as if a burden was lifted from him. "Sorry for bothering you all, but with Knuckles and I in jail, there's not much we can do from our end."

"I'll seriously break you out," Amy offered.

"No, that won't be necessary" Tails declared hastily. "Just find Sonic!"

Amy giggled. "Ha, don't need to tell me THAT twice!"

…_what did those two do to get caught in JAIL…?!_

"See you all on the other side of tomorrow, hopefully!" Rouge exclaimed, and I instantly turned off my communicator before anything else distracting could occur.

"Strange how Tails and Knuckles are in jail…with our military standings, we could get them out, but we don't have the time," I murmured, scowling. Rouge put her hands on her hips as she sauntered over to me.

"Ah, what a tangled web we weave…" she trailed, coy and calculating like she knew something, though I was very well aware that she didn't. "So much has happened, but alas, we can only be one place at once…good thing we've got so many buddies working toward avoid the end of the world, huh?"

"With two in jail, one inexplicably misplaced somewhere, two completely clueless on things, and one apparently missing in action," I replied, folding my arms. "Regardless, with all of us scattered about like this, we're going to have to carry our own weight, and with the both of us already spread so thin, it'll be pretty difficult."

Even with the others' problems, I was the only one who knew how to properly seal Mephiles, and letting him run around under his own agenda was absolutely not an option. If it did turn out that Elise died, Mephiles would have a prime opportunity to fuse with Iblis, and having Solaris destroy the world and time itself was a far more dangerous outcome. Yet the state of Tails and Knuckles, Amy being so totally out of loop, that suspicious friend of Silver's, Silver himself having not turned up, and Sonic MIA…

_I sincerely doubted that we could get out of this completely unscathed. _

To have all of us be successful was almost too much to ask for, and even if we did succeed, there would be prices to pay at high-stake costs. Rouge must've noticed my apprehension, because she shed her bravado once we reached the entrance to Wave Ocean. Stepping closer, she leaned her arm on my shoulder and patted my head.

"Hey, no one said this job was easy, hon," Rouge pointed out to me with an aloof shrug. "…though if we were told we'd be going up against a crazy yet calculating demigod, I think I would've backed out a looooong time ago."

I made my way across the water and over to the beach, charging forward with my head held high and mission on mind. When things got too tough, you couldn't just back out. You had to find a new approach, take a new direction, or face it had on, but no matter what, you can't just give up and walk away…

_Some of us just don't have the option to back out. _

. . .

"So, the Commander said that they haven't been able to locate a new Scepter of Darkness, but there is an archeologist in the area who is researching it. She should be able to give us a rough description of the materials we need by this evening."

That was what Rouge had explained to me during our first few step into the beach, reiterating what she had been told during her call. At usual, GUN wasn't none too helpful, but I'd consider ourselves lucky for that archeologist. We also stopped by the store to grab some more Memory Chips, which Rouge insisted would come in handy.

_I felt that I was plenty strong without the help. _

The beach was barren, which was a little unexpected, but not unrealistic. With Eggman's earlier threat and Elise being swept away amidst the chaos, going down to the beach for a swim would be unorthodox. I could see in Rouge's eyes how much she wanted to just run out into Wave Ocean and cool off, especially with her desire for a vacation, but she had just finished spieling to me how hard work was- she needed to take her own advice.

"Heeeey, at least one of us will get to do a fun adventurous activity!" she suddenly sang, and she instantly fell victim to my unamused gaze.

"What are you implicating now?"

With far too much glee, she pointed a ways down the beach, where a _hang glider_ had been deserted some time ago. Unquestionably, it resembled the ones that just so happened to be in Kingdom Valley AND the _future_, so it wasn't like I lacked experience…

"Gah, I'm tired of all these vehicles around- they're so hard to control, and most of them aren't event fast!"

"They're not always just about speed, hon," she taunted me with a wagging finger. "After all, if you take this, you'll be able to get a better vantage point on where Mephiles and Omega are!"

"But that's what I have you for."

Rouge did not appreciate my deadpan.

"You know just as well as I do that you'll be better off if you just do it yourself - and besides, how do you know I've never lied to you?"

She battered her eyelashes at me as I grabbed the glider.

"That's because you confided in me that you _have _lied to me- I only found out that you were a government agent after all that meddling you did during the ARK incident…"

"That was simply work, sweetheart. Don't take it to heart," she scoffed, though clearly the fact that I remembered must've bothered her somewhat.

_She should be happy I could remember anything at all!_

In any case, yes, eventually I did cave in and started flying over the ocean on the serendipitously placed hang glider, with Rouge spreading her wings and soaring after me. Rouge did have a point; I had a much better view of Wave Ocean from high above, but every pro has its cons.

"Look out for the falling pillars!" Rouge warned me, though the concern wasn't necessary. I mean, the rocks were tumbling down right in front of me- I'd have to be blind not to move! A few quick tilts of the hang glider here and there and I was out of the danger zone in record speed. I even managed to fly straight through a looped rock formation with accuracy and precision!

Rouge glanced up at me and shook her head. "Now you're just showing off."

_And she was just a critic._

Gliding over the sands below, we were surprised to see that Iblis' monsters were scattered about the beach, which I found really bizarre. As far as I knew, they were supposed to be around when Iblis was, like in the past and the future, but ALSO as far as I knew, Iblis hadn't been released in the present…yet.

I cringed and pushed that thought out of my mind. "No, I bet it's Mephiles' influence…"

"That means that he's leaving behind a trail of his annoying minions, and leading us straight to him," murmured Rouge, gliding close to me as she dropped a few bombs below her. The detonations left plumes of sand in our wake, with the explosion also enveloping the monsters that lingered beneath us. I was personally taking care of them with the launchers that the glider came with, and admittedly, I was sort of missing my Shadow Rifle.

_It might've been crafted by evil aliens, but it got the job done._

Our flight took us through a cave –and I bit back a comment about Rouge feeling at home- when worms and birds were abundant. Their stay in the cavern was cut short as I tore through, my sights locked onto nothing but Omega and Mephiles. Knowing that Omega was somewhere tearing up these minions of Mephiles with the sole purpose to destroy their master…I wanted to believe that Omega was perfectly capable of completing his mission. I had seen his strength demonstrated many times, but the way he had acted before we went to find Rouge earlier had me concerned.

_Maybe it was just my imagination._

**S-O**

"Mephiles detected. Position K31. Pursue and engage."

Designated task assigned by Comrade Shadow: Maintain location of Mephiles for the duration of his absence. The mission has been accepted…and this mission will not go unfinished.

Internal processor experiencing signs of overheating. Scanning for source; location pinpointed to…Data Banks? Searching Data Banks for possible cause of overheat…source found. Begin Memory Replay.

The source of overheating is derived from images in data banks also secured in memory banks. Data of the "Day of Disaster" are prominent. Data indicates that Enemy Number One Doctor Eggman's Carrier inexplicably malfunctioned, and as Comrade Shadow stated earlier, led to the death of this region's monarch. Flames ravaged the land, and many flesh bags were killed off in the process. Comrade Rouge fought valiantly to protect the survivors alongside members of the military, but unfortunately was felled in one of the many battles. GUN fell, and Shadow was among the ones that had survived… but with the military in shambles, he was dispatched, though that wasn't the only reason.

The death of Rouge had torn him up, and the losses of his other friends drove him nearly mad.

Memory Replay Paused. Internal processors obtaining dangerously high levels of temperature! Initiate cooling systems immediately. Delete source of overheat from memory immediately.

…Action denied. More information required. How did…I _obtain_ this data, exactly?

Sensors indicate…that I…had miscalculated. Resume Memory Replay.

Comrade Rouge had instructed me to 'assist' Shadow in the future, but she never designated a set time. Thus, I was unable to properly assess when Shadow would be in need of me, so I pulled out of stasis too early. Upon reactivating, I discovered the planet in a much different and less fortunate state. Humans were in disarray, and flames were abundant, but the people never pointed to the flames as the source of their problems…they instead pointed toward the red and black hedgehog alongside the devastation.

They pinned all their problems on him, claiming him guilty of being the source of the flames. Some knew that he wasn't truly at fault, but they knew of his power. While he was perfectly capable of saving their world…he also had the capacity to destroy it. His fueled rage over losing friend after friend had quickly bubbled into a new insanity that couldn't be controlled. He went around harming anything in his way, in constant mourning of failing to protect the innocents again. The humans feared what he could do; they felt threatened, and didn't understand the full extent of what he was going through…and they sought to destroy him.

And they would have, too.

Comrade Shadow's bio structure is relatively invulnerable, but not invincible. Outnumbered against thousands upon thousands of humans in his weak mental state would have rendered his defeat a distinct possibility. I knew that he hadn't done anything wrong- I had placed my 'trust' in him- but I was also aware that he was beyond being reasoned with…if left unchecked any longer, more despair would have ravaged the world. However, his death wouldn't solve anything either…

Memory banks show that I had made the move to face against Shadow, with the people under the impression that I would rid the world of him, but I was unable to do that. His death was meaningless…and aside from that, he was my friend, and the last one that HE had. Thus, I compromised with myself and settled for sealing him away, although I did not wish to go through with the procedure. His eyes were crazed and craved destruction, as if everything he had gone through in his life had been unraveled and meant nothing, but it hadn't been his fault, and sealing him away was the only method to keep him alive yet out of harm's way.

He had tried to resist, but I had caught him by surprise, handicapping one of his hands within an iron casing that prevented him from moving. He fought and struggled as I sealed his other hand and his feet, preventing him from removing his inhibitor rings. The people had rejoiced at my actions as the iron casings reacted with each other and put up a force field around Shadow, beginning to levitate up off the ground. Shadow had yelled at me, claiming that I had betrayed him, and that snarled scowl of disappointment and abandonment was the last trace of emotion I had seen from him before the chemicals kicked in. As long as he was bound by that force field, he would be stuck in an unconscious jail, the world crumbling apart around him without any knowledge of the fact…

Still, I knew this was the wrong Shadow- there was _another_ Shadow, possibly even more distant into the future, which Rouge had been talking about. The Shadow I had sealed away hadn't been 'attacked' by any 'Mephiles'- he was in the correct time, and was just reaping the consequences of fate. Thus, I went back into stand by, waiting for the proper time to assist.

End Memory Replay.

I had been hesitant to tell Shadow this information before, but things had changed. Perhaps that flow of events could have been avoided. I would tell Shadow of what originally went down, for it would have no impact now that changes had been made to the time stream.

Time travel does not compute. Too many variables to diagnose. Maintain direct focus on dispatching "Mephiles". No other interruptions allowed. Must destroy!

Current location registered as "Wave Ocean". Signs of "Mephiles" are abundant through fire-based life forms stationed all throughout the beach. Peaceful atmosphere disturbed. Proceeding to eliminate them all! Cannons online!

Ascending to higher ground. Utilizing grind rail to maintain maximum speed. Robots on grind rails are still ridiculous.

"Annihilate! Fire! Fire!"

Current Enemy Counter: Seven. Three "fire worms", two "fire birds". Elimination process shall be most easy to execute. Ready missiles, and…ANNIHILATE! Enemies exterminated; adversaries have called backup… analyzing threat: two large titans with strength off the charts. Threat level: Moderately high. Engage threat immediately- defenses online, missiles online!

Targeting purple one first- activating jet boosters! Launch missiles at will! Aim for head! Fire, fire! Enemy is countering! Damage sustained on right shoulder! Damage sustained on right shoulder! Make repairs at time of earliest convenience- do not let up on offense! Show no signs of wear! Continue headshots! First titan: destroyed!

Targeting orange one next- execute evasive maneuvers! Get behind it! Moving to blind spot…and launch! Moving about to maintain advantage- too many crates in the way. ANNIHILATE WOODEN OBSTACLES! Much better.

Titan sufficiently destroyed. Moving on with search for "Mephiles". Continue path over boardwalk- many colorful sailing devices ahead, along with flipping dolphins and more enemies. Evade enemies if possible and maintain designated path along the beach. Sensors are detecting an increase in "Mephiles'" energy signature…he is directly in front of me.

"Hahaha! Welcome, Omega. It won't take much for me to deal with you."

Vocal recognition: Mephiles the Dark. Picking up traces of extreme malevolence and arrogance. Readying blasters on the spot. "Mephiles" must not escape as per Shadow's orders.

I will not fail him again.

**O-S**

"We'll find Omega soon. Hang in there."

Rouge was worrying endlessly about Omega, trying to conceal it by masking her questions about him by connecting them to our overall mission. I don't know why she always attempted to be professional when she was feeling strongly about something- it wasn't like she was hard to read.

_Though I guess Knuckles still had a hard time telling…_

We made our way across the beach in relative silence, much too focused to talk. My communicator was telling me that Omega had definitely gone this way, and his foot impressions in the sand were a testament to that fact. I know he'd have no problem finding and attacking Mephiles, but Mephiles could've had some trick up his sleeve, seeing as he was one step ahead of me in every move I made…and I didn't have any sort of jump on him.

"Hopefully GUN comes through with the Scepter of Darkness," I murmured under my breath. "They aren't the most reliable group after all…"

"They'll come through," Rouge assured with her arms folded behind her back. "You haven't worked with them long enough to understand exactly how they function!"

_I think I have a pretty good idea._

Regardless, arguing with Rouge on this point was moot; she was just as dedicated to her job as she was to robbing people blind of jewelry. There was little I could do to persuade her otherwise, so I kept skating over the sand and throwing myself into Mephiles' mindless monsters, clearing them out before they could do too much harm to the beach. As annoying as they were, they served to make good use of my fighting skills- when I went up against Mephiles again, and I know he would fight back, I wanted to be in pique condition. He had nearly ended me last time, had Omega not interfered in the way he had…

_Which was why I not only needed to dispatch Mephiles while I could, but I also needed to return Omega's favor._

My last fight with Mephiles was still fresh on my mind, remembering how he had overtaken my shadow and sent his numerous shades after me. In that sciamachy, I was driven by nothing but my desire to survive that ordeal; to emerge unscathed…but now that I knew that it wasn't going to be possible, I had to change my thought process. I need to capacitate Mephiles before anyone else got caught in his net of lies and deceit, even if something happened to me in the process.

"Shadow, you've got that fervent look on your face again," Rouge chided me, interrupting my inner monologue. She glided alongside me and nudged me in the shoulder. "If you go into this with that pessimistic attitude, you'll lose for sure."

"I told you, I'm a realist," I huffed, skating on. "There's no point in telling yourself lies- whether they be positive or negative."

Rouge eyed me curiously but shrugged. "Well, looking at things without anticipating the possibilities is a bit of handicap, don't you think? If you see things _just_ for how they are, you might end up missing something."

She caught the look of unexpected surprise on my face, but I changed it immediately. Really, I never considered things like that, but whatever- I was more open-minded than I let in on.

"…in any case, the monsters keep getting more abundant," I stated, opting to change the subject. Rouge hurled a bomb in front of us, striking a massive blow against the creatures before us. She glanced over her shoulder and smirked at me, before gallivanting straight into the fray, kicking and swinging without a second thought. I figured that was her way of telling me to just deal with it, so I wasted no time warping to the nearest worm burrowing its way up out of the ground and beating it senseless.

The grotesque fighting contrasted greatly with the atmosphere of the beach- what was supposed to be so serene and peaceful was plagued with the filth of Mephiles' monsters, decorating the Oceanside in an unfortunate state. Rouge and I put all we had into the blows we dealt, refusing to let the fiends hinder us anymore. She kicked low while I went high, dispatching foes at an alarming pace.

"Don't make me break a nail, cretin," Rouge snarled at a titan standing several feel taller than her, proceeding to whirl around and knock him over with a tornado kick. With her move executed, I grabbed her wrist and started sprinting through a looped rock formation. She lurched with the sudden force and a dash of confusion, barely able to turn and look at me.

"Hey-?!"

"Fighting all these monsters is exactly what Mephiles wants us to do," I stated seriously. Rouge released a sigh in response.

"Now you're just being paranoid…"

"Well, he obviously left all these monsters for some reason, and I sincerely doubt it was because he wanted us to follow him," I explained. "If anything, he severely underestimated us and thought we'd fall at the hands of his minions…"

_Sounds like something he'd do._

Rouge couldn't argue against it, simply allowing me to forge onward with speed as I scanned the beach for Omega or Mephiles. However, all I found was a gate in the distance, more sand, and even more monsters…there was really nothing left for us to search for here in this area-

"Another Hover Vehicle!" Rouge pointed out, noting the red and black cruiser docked by a boardwalk. I balked and gritted my teeth.

"Why must you ALWAYS find all these vehicles…?!"

She yanked herself out of my grip and folded her arms. "Natural intuition, obviously. Just stop asking questions and accept what's been given to you!"

_Her logical reasoning gets worse every time…!_

Throwing my hands up, I refused to refute her argument and got into the Hover Vehicle, with her jumping in gleefully after me. I was surprised she wasn't trying to defend the thing like she usually did, but I appreciated the fact that she must've finally realized that her point had gotten across…several times.

Anyway, I found the vehicle much harder to drive than in Kingdom Valley. First off, there were dolphins who felt the need to do front flips over my head while I was trying to turn, and then there was the fact that the controls to the vehicle itself were clunky, and not to mention that the ocean itself wasn't a very straightforward path to navigate-

"Ugh, your complaining is so loud, I can even hear it when you're saying nothing at all!" Rouge nagged from beside me.

_Hence why I was keeping it in my head. _

"Anyway, at risk of being chastised again," I began, white-knuckling the steering wheel. "In what direction do you believe Omega is in?"

Rouge instantly turned to her communicator, tapping at something on the screen before pointing off to the right. "His coordinates dictate that he's that way, so-"

"Hang on!" I roared, flooring the gas pedal and causing a tidal wave of water to rise up behind us. Rouge whipped about in her seat as I hastily turned the vehicle completely around. We whisked forward in the direction Rouge had guided us, practically skipping across the water as I narrowly dodged any obstacles we came across. Rouge kept her eye on the radar and barked out instructions to me, while I issued them on command. Getting through the ocean became a lot easier after that, and eventually, we found Omega's trail again.

I parked along the dock as Rouge instantly flew out of her seat, eyeing Omega's footprints in the sand.

"He went this way," she murmured quietly, running off instantly. I was quick in skating in pursuit and following the trail Omega had unknowingly left for us. As we ran, we heard loud sounds of gunfire, and while normally that'd be a bad thing, something in us was put at ease, because we knew those shots came from Omega.

But as he crept into our line of sight, we had to pause, our breath catching in our throats when we found him standing off against Mephiles himself.

Mephiles reeled back with every blow that buried into his torso, staggering with every impact. Just like his showdown with Omega in the future, he stood his ground while absorbing every strike, appearing weak but having the upper hand all the while. His color-contrasting eyes and lack of expression were paint-peeling as always, but he kept his gaze down as Omega halted in his assault at the sound of Mephiles speaking to him.

"…this only proves you were created to stop Shadow, the ultimate life form," I could hear Mephiles murmur, and the verbal assault sent an unprecedented shiver up my spine.

"Your assessment is incorrect," Omega bleeped back, almost too quickly.

"Don't act like you don't know," Mephiles retorted without missing a beat, that sickly edge to his tone. "You may have been programmed by humanity, but what YOU did to Shadow in the future…that was ALL your-"

In an instant Omega's arms whirled around, swapping from his blasters to his cannon functions and letting loose on Mephiles with all the fire power he could muster before the demon could mutter another word. Rouge and I were frozen to the spot as we witnessed Omega attacked with such a ferocity that neither of us had seen from him previously. Before, he only attacked with passion- a passion to destroy, yes, but never with such an _irate rage_ as he was now. Until then, I wasn't even sure Omega was capable of putting such emotion behind his assaults.

_Had what Mephiles said somehow got to him…?_

It was an impossible thought- nothing EVER got to Omega. _Ever._ That was what made him so reliable! Omega never once thought twice about an issue- he tackled it head on, or removed it as soon as possible. Being a robot, he never had to worry about emotions or feelings or second thoughts or any of that. That's part of what made him so strong, able to march into any situation, calculate the odds, and go with them regardless. It's what made him able to voluntarily sit around for two hundred years just to complete a mission tasked to him and him alone.

But I also don't think that's his whole story.

Omega may have been nothing but metal put together to move and fight, but I believed there was something more to him that the average person could see. There was a certain_ sentiment_ when he did things, far beyond what you would expect. Yes, he wanted to complete a mission by waiting in stand by for two hundred years, but he did it for ME, and because Rouge had told him to…he could've let me suffer from my mental confusion in Eggman's Iron Jungle, or let me die from heat stroke in the Lava Shelter, but he didn't, because it was ME…and he may have claimed that after we first met, he was only going after Eggman to prove that he was the doctor's ultimate robot and that locking him in that room with me was a waste of his potential…but he didn't have to stay with Rouge and I to do that.

Our first meeting was commenced with fighting, and for the longest time we never could see eye to eye…but now? _Now_? I couldn't imagine where I'd be without him. He impacted my life in ways that couldn't be replicated by anyone, and where I'd be without him certainly wouldn't be here…that dedication, that conviction, that drive to get the job done…and the fact that HE, a "mere robot" had given HIMSELF a purpose in life…

It's what made him my friend.

And to see that animatronic friend reduced to such a state by the hands of Mephiles…it made me wonder what could've caused Omega to break down in such a way, and what Mephiles had to do with it…but even if Mephiles was totally innocent in this case, I still wanted to grab him by the throat and throttle him until the fight had drained from his already lifeless eyes!

Omega's rapid full-frontal assault had sent Mephiles to his knees, and heavy shudders rocketed up my body when his harrowing laugh filled the air, like he was completely unscathed by all that Omega had opposed him with. He just kneeled there in the sand, throwing his head back to face the sun, and let his mad cackle carry along the wind for all to hear. To be that confident in the face of certain disaster…I had only seen that sort of audacity in Black Doom, but his had been an empty sort of arrogance. With Mephiles, I knew he had the methods to back it up.

And he wouldn't hesitate if the moment came to it.

Mephiles maintained his insane chortling as he allowed himself to fall backward into the ground, purple smoke blazing everywhere as he became one with the shadows. I didn't know where he was going now, but I would figure it out later, considering there was nothing I could do without another Scepter of Darkness. As he evaporated away unscathed once more, my gaze fell onto Omega, who was unusually still and silent. As Rouge and I gathered our bearings and approached him, he swapped his cannons out for his normal hands, only to curl them into fists.

_He was much too somber for my liking._

"What…just happened?" Rouge asked, speaking the very question that had been on my own mind. Mephiles had clearly pushed the wrong buttons on Omega, and it was showing through vividly. What really tipped me off was the fact that Omega hadn't answered instantly like he normally would have, even if it was just an observational remark. His back was toward us too, and I knew he would've at least greeted us immediately had the circumstances been different.

"Omega," I finally stated sternly, breaking the silence that was weighting down on all of us. "What did Mephiles mean when he spoke to you?"

"Shadow." Omega's gears and joints whirled as he turned to me, expression devoid of anything as usual, but there was still the lurking feeling that something wasn't right. I could tell that even Rouge picked up on it, biting her lip with uncertainty. Omega stepped closer to me, one robotic footstep after the other.

"The one that defeats and seals you in the future…" He raised his hand and brought it to his torso; an action that made my quills bristle with anticipation for what was next. "…is me."

I tried so hard to remain undeterred, but hearing those words come from _Omega_…I couldn't do it. I just couldn't do it. I blinked once and felt my eyes soften; my arms dropped out of their folded position and went limp at my sides. Omega could never lie- he could never refute the facts…but I still couldn't bring myself to believe it.

"…why…?" I managed to get out, unable to feel anything. I wanted to feel angry at him for doing that to me, feel betrayed at the fact that my own friend would condemn me to such a fate, feel frustration at how Mephiles was right about what he said in the future, or even feel a little sad that things had gotten so bad that it had led to this, but I felt _nothing_. I was washed with numbness, and I couldn't even feel the sensation of losing all feeling- it just _happened_, and now I was staring blankly at Omega, merely demanding answers like I _always_ did, though now I didn't even know how I felt about it.

"…it is as Mephiles says. It was all my fault, and all my doing. I should have never interfered," Omega stated in his blatantly robotic voice. "I was trying to follow Rouge's orders, but I reactivated from stand by prematurely, and it ended in unprecedented failure."

"F-failure?" Rouge choked out, feeling far more strongly about all of this than I was. She was looking at Omega like she didn't even know him anymore, and yet I couldn't bring myself to do anything. "How was it failure if you brought Shadow back from the future…?"

_Technically, that was Mephiles, but now was not the time to intervene with that._

"It was failure because I did the opposite of what I was asked to do," Omega elaborated. "Instead of protecting Shadow, I brought about his end."

His head turned around to meet my insensate gaze.

"The world was left as a hopeless shell of its former shelf, and the humans that lingered were in a severe state of array. They wanted to know why such a fate befell them, and they wanted to seek out what had brought it on. You, Shadow, were powerful enough to stand against the threat, but you used your abilities in anger, stuck in a mental outrage about losing all that you knew."

I gritted my teeth and gripped my arm. "Are you saying…that Future Me went insane?"

"Sonic, Knuckles, Amy, Rouge, and many others had been dispatched," Omega explained, and I felt my eyes go wide. "GUN had been felled, and with me in standby at the time, there was no one left to support you. Losing all of that drove you into a new kind of deranged state, one that you couldn't be pulled from. The humans feared that, and they began to believe that _you_ had brought on what destroyed everything, though you yourself were nothing but a victim."

His eyes began glowing a furious red as his hand clenched and unclenched in a rhythmic pattern.

"So, they sought out to rid the world of you, but I had sensed that then was the time I was designated to assist, but I was wrong. There was nothing I could do to help you, and with the humans out to get you, there was only one thing to do…"

_If I had been in Omega's situation, I would've just ended me right then and there…_

"…so why seal me?" I asked quietly, and Omega hummed silently in response for the longest time.

"In a way, it did end your life- it prevented you from ever moving again, but it also prevented you from hurting others unintentionally," Omega replied. "…and aside from that, I couldn't bring myself to end you. No data program or upgrade in the world could force me to that…but that day, it was either let you die by the hands of the humans, or seal you off for your own good against your will."

I had to take time to process all of what Omega had said to me, feeling finally returning to me at last. Though, all I could really sense was the intense and unforgiving heat of the sun beating down on us, making an already concentrated situation even more uncomfortable. I couldn't react to Omega immediately, nor could I look him in the eye straightway, but Rouge reacted for me, as she was swept up in a sudden emotional storm.

"It's…it's so unfair!" she pleaded, her face overcome by a depressed expression that I hadn't seen from her since the night she held me at point blank with a sniper rifle. It was that stiff attempt to remain confident again, but like a dam about to burst, tears were welling up behind her eyes but she didn't dare let them show. She turned to me with saddened eyes, continuing her spiel.

"Shadow's always here to defend the world," Rouge claimed, and I couldn't help but close my eyes and turn away, as that hadn't always been true. Sure, that was my purpose now, but twice I had been consumed by strong malicious feelings that had led me to try and destroy that world. The past couldn't govern me anymore, as I was now firmly dedicated to ensuring that the world wouldn't end, but I also couldn't act like it hadn't happened.

_Yet, Rouge firmly believed that I was a hero to the core, and that was what I was always meant to be._

"But…despite that…people still want to see him destroyed? For all the good that he wanted to do?" she finished, balling her fists and aiming the question at Omega, daring him to negate it. Omega raised his hands in a sort of shrug as a response.

"Eventually when something, or someone, is seen as too powerful…" He cast his hand toward me, with my stare still facing the sand. "…it is seen as a threat, and then the world becomes its enemy."

Rouge's lip quivered slightly before sharply turning away, hiding her expression, but her wings were stretching in and out, indicating that she was indeed feeling something. Omega wasn't interjecting with any of his robot wisdom, either- mainly because he had been part of the cause of the problem. And I…I just had to walk away.

_Me? My head just hurt._

My life had been nothing but a mess of complicated things, one after another, and to live simply was too much to ask. Even the most mundane thing I could think of had some complicated secrets behind it. But with every hardship that was thrown at me, I managed to make it through one way or another, regardless of whether my head was in the right place or not…and that _had_ to mean something, didn't it? I could make it through the roughest of moments, and the darkest of days…and even if they kept coming, even if they were the betrayal or even the death of my friends, I could make it through, couldn't I?

"Shadow…" Rouge trailed almost inaudibly, without that haughty teasing I was so used to. This was Rouge when she felt vulnerable, and I was beginning to think that she was only susceptible when _I_ was. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Even if you believe that everyone in the world will be against you…"

She stepped closer to me and opened her eyes, gifting me with a small smile before turning her back again.

"…know that I'll always remain by your side. Remember that."

Rouge had her high maintenance moments far too often, but when it came right down to it, she would ALWAYS have my back, and nothing could change that.

"…I will."

_Even just one person supporting me…that was more than enough…_

I stopped walking away, realizing that turning my back on them would do me no good. In this messed up world, I couldn't walk the path ahead of me alone, and I had learned that the hard way. I tried; I tried _many_ times, whether I thought I didn't need the help or because I wanted no one to get caught in the crossfire that was aimed at me, I tried to walk alone.

But I had learned that it wouldn't work- at every step, there had been someone waiting for me, someone trying to show me the right way. While the choice was ultimately mine, I was always influenced by the guidance, and I'd be in a dark hole somewhere if it wasn't for these guys…

"Shadow," Omega began next, and I could tell he was struggling to format what he wanted to say. "What I did to you is unforgiveable, but-"

"…I forgive you," I finished for him, and the words had sent even the mighty Omega into shock. He reeled back as I returned over to my team, no longer feeling numb. "I know that you only sealed me away to save my life, and therefore I can't resent you for it…besides, what good would wandering around in a world where my friends are gone do for me?"

The future we were barreling towards was a dark one indeed, and with Sonic being the only one able to stop the one event that could change everything, that card of fate just wasn't in my hand. If it turned out that the world would be bathed in fire, then I could come to accept it. It would be another trial I'd have to work to overcome. Such hardships had plagued me in the past, so I knew I had the strength to do it.

_But if I had the chance to avoid it, I was going to need my friends for it._

I held my hand out, expecting Rouge and Omega to put their hands on top of mine, like when we had first formed our team. Rouge whirled back around to face me, now beaming with a refreshed joy instead of that melancholic gloom and happily placed her hand on top of mine. Omega, still reeling from the fact that I had merely hand waved his ultimate betrayal, felt compelled to drape his hand on top of Rouge's.

"…and THAT makes us a team, baby," I commented, flashing a fanged grin. Rouge and Omega were in full agreement, raising their opposite hands into the air. We were Team Dark, and we had been through more together than anyone else combined…if Mephiles thought tempering our weaknesses would divide us, he was _wrong_, and I was going to prove that to him the next time we met.

_And I'd make sure he KNEW it, too._


	10. Sentiments of the Setting Sun

**The chapter in which Team Dark tries to make sense of the Chaos Emeralds, but fail miserably...The general gist though is just that the emeralds are more important than expected. S'all ya need. **

**Anyway, enjoy!**

* * *

In the Shadow of a Doubt

Chapter 10: Sentiments of the Setting Sun

With our deeds done in Wave Ocean, we headed back to Soleanna Castle Town to regroup a final time, get our hands on the Scepter of Darkness, and seal Mephiles away once and for all. It was getting to be that time of day where the afternoon transitioned into the evening, and it was impossible to know if Sonic had done his part or not. Regardless, I still had my own job to do, and time wasn't abundant enough to just burn away.

"GUN said our archeologist contact would be ready by evening- let's give them a call and see if we're good to go," Rouge suggested, hitting up her communicator. After a few moments of waiting and yet another mutual exchanging of words, Rouge had her answer and pointed off toward the town fountain. "They say she she's been waiting over there for our arrival, so let's go!"

We moved instantly, with Rouge explaining what she looked like, so Omega used his scanners to search the entirety of the fountain area for anyone who matched the description. His results came up ridiculously quick, and now he was making tracks for the fountain at a breakneck pace. I stayed quiet and let the both of them lead the way, since they had a better idea of where we were going than I did…

"Flesh bag with integral item located!" Omega blared, pointing with his hand at a tall woman with pigtails, glasses, and an outfit made entirely out of khaki. She was nervously shifting from one foot to the other, looking around anxiously and fiddling with something in her hands. I figured she must've been the one we needed to talk to, so I walked over to her and tapped her arm.

"Excuse me-?"

"Dah!" she yelled, making Rouge and I jump and Omega instantly raise his blasters.

"Threat initiated! Preparing attack instantly!"

"No, Omega!" Rouge exclaimed, wrestling with Omega to get him to put down his blasters. As they danced around behind me, I turned my focus to the confused and concerned woman in front of me.

"Don't mind them- I've been told you have a certain item that I need?"

The woman blinked in surprise, then leaned down to get a better look at me, even going so far as to adjust her glasses. "You mean…you're the agent that the military told me about?"

"_Yes_."

"Oh…well, when I suddenly got a call from the military out of nowhere, you have no idea how shaken I was!" she explained, still fumbling with the object in her grasp. "To have so much pressure put on me so suddenly…! But enough of that. I took the materials the military gave me and managed to craft an exact replica of the Scepter of Darkness, using my studies on Soleanna's history."

She began to hand the object to me, being none other than the recreated Scepter or Darkness. Its gleam and eerie splendor was just the same as the one that had imprisoned Mephiles before, and now it was up to me to seal him once more.

"You plan…to save us with this object, don't you?" the archeologist asked quietly, and I found myself nodding. "Even with all the studying I've done and with what has recently happened to the princess, I can't keep track of anything anymore. So, I'm glad that there's people out there who know what they're doing and working hard to change things."

The archeologist gave me a parting smile as she waved me off, and while she seemed placid on the outside, everything about the situation had her shaken up. She had literally put part of the fate of Soleanna into my hands; the hands of a complete stranger. In any case, I gripped the scepter tightly in my hand before storing it away for safe keeping.

"Good…now I can finally stop Mephiles."

"Only thing about that is, we have no idea where he headed off to," Rouge pointed out. The archeologist then spoke up behind us, nervously rubbed her neck.

"Ah, well, um…I'm not sure if this is any help, but Lord Regis has been complaining of a sudden influx of monsters coming in from Dusty Desert," she explained. "It began not all that long ago, so you may be able to get there before he barricades the entrance."

"Trail of monsters? Definitely sounds like our resident demigod," murmured Rouge. Meanwhile, I turned to the archeologist and gave her a nod.

"Your assistance has been indispensable. You have my gratitude."

She merely beamed once again, so I gave Rouge and Omega the signal to get going. Dusty Desert wasn't too far from Wave Ocean, so getting there wouldn't be a problem at all. With the archeologist pointing us the right way, we headed off, battling through the crowd of concerned citizens that we had a REALLY hard time blending in with. I mean, a hedgehog, an albino bat, and a giant fighter robot aren't exactly the easiest thing to hide in a crowd.

"Make way life forms, or I will be authorized to use force!" Omega boomed, and that cleared us a path through in record time. While people stood off to the side watching us with scared eyes, I noticed that the police suddenly began running for the entrance to the desert, forming a wall in front it. Omega instantly went to resort to his blasters, but I held him off as Rouge confronted the men. Hopefully, her abilities of persuasion would be enough to get us through.

"Why aren't you letting us in?" she demanded to know, placing her hands on her hips disgruntledly. One of the police officers, with his badge reading "Pietro", stepped forward.

"We have just been placed by orders of Lord Regis to prevent anyone from entering the desert!" he announced, giving us a salute. "No one is permitted from entering without recognition or consent from Lord Regis or members of the High Court!"

"High Court…? Are you talking about Princess Elise?" I asked out of happenstance.

"Of course, but as our ruler is missing in action, authority falls to Lord Regis in her place, as was designated by her late father," Pietro explained. "Therefore what he says goes!"

"Well he's making a mess of things! All we're trying to do is help!" I fought back, growling in his direction. Just before I was about to slug him, Rouge stepped in front of me and delicately pushed me away, smiling sickeningly at Pietro. Pietro looked down at her suspiciously, until she suddenly whipped put her government issued agent's badge, which she was now showing off shamelessly.

"I'm sorry, but I don't believe you have the authority to hinder us from this area," she began smoothly, admiring her hands as if they were suddenly the most interesting thing in the world. "My team and I were specifically sent here to dispatch the threat that was brewing in Soleanna, and whatever's going down in the desert is directly related to that mission-!"

"But we can't just-!" Pietro tried to interrupt, but Rouge snapped her fingers and silenced him on the spot. I whistled.

"I know you've got your boss to obey and all, but it'll be much easier on both you and me if my commanding officer is kept in a GOOD mood, wouldn't you agree? Because I know I certainly wouldn't want to be on the wrong end of one of his…mood rants, hm?"

I almost found it funny that Pietro was sweating bullets at this point, suddenly tugging at his collar like the temperature had increased several degrees. His eyes darted around shiftily before he finally let out a defeated sigh and threw up his hands.

"I'll…let the other guards know that you're coming through," Pietro murmured in a discontent fashion, and Rouge let out a confident hum in return. "I'd hate making more trouble than I need to…"

_Too late for that, buddy._

Pietro clapped his hands, and instantly the barricade of policemen stepped aside to allow Rouge, Omega, and I through to the desert. Rouge skipped by in a girlish manner- a stark contrast to the headstrong bravado she presented earlier, while I threw glares at anyone who attempted to make eye contact with me. Omega thundered forward, even turning around to throw his blasters into the air.

"All who stand in our way would otherwise be obliterated-!"

"Omega, don't make the situation worse…"

. . .

When we reached the desert area of Soleanna, the sun was already beginning to sink in the sky, painting the expanse gold and basking everything below it in a shimmering hue. We were currently perched at the top of a flight of stairs, looking down at the vast Sahara before us. The sands danced along the dry winds, each single grain burying centuries worth of ruins underneath it all…the decayed statues and structures and pillars sticking out of the ground were a testament to that, and in a small way, it captivated me.

_But I didn't have time for fascination. _

I had been the first to step forward, looking around the area wondering if Mephiles truly did come this way. None of his monsters were immediately present, but I didn't think the citizens of Soleanna would lie about such an occurrence…so why was Mephiles intent on coming HERE of all places?

"Mephiles appears to have headed for those ruins," Rouge confirmed for me. "He's probably looking for the Chaos Emerald that's located there."

…_what._

"Wait a minute, you've known of the location of a Chaos Emerald this whole time?" I inquired forcefully, and Rouge gave me that aloof shrug of hers that made me grit my teeth. She may have had my back, but she certainly knew how to grate on my nerves…!

"Well, sure. I'm a treasure hunter, and knowing the location of any beautiful gem is expected if not anticipated!"

"…why is it that I don't believe you?"

Rouge pouted at me before sighing. "Fiiiine, if you've _gotta_ know, after you used the Chaos Emeralds to destroy the Black Comet, GUN had tracked the trajectory of the Chaos Emeralds when they dispersed from each other afterwards. You know how that happens when they exhaust a lot of their power?"

"Sure," I stated, knowing it was common knowledge amongst our group. "When the Chaos Emeralds are in too close proximity with each other for too long, and especially after having their powers used up, they separate from each other in order to recharge, so to speak."

"Precisely," she continued with a nod. "GUN wanted to track them so in case of another national emergency, they would know where they were. However, they found it peculiar…because, well, they all landed in Soleanna."

I raised an eyebrow at this, because that was definitely abnormal. The Chaos Emeralds never strayed TOO far from each other, but for all of them to land on an island country like Soleanna, especially since they were last strongly used in _space_, and over a year ago no less? THAT was strange.

_Why had they ended up in relatively the same area? Surely that couldn't have been a coincidence…_

"The blue one ended up in the hands of the princess, the yellow one ended up here in the desert, the white and purple ones were in Kingdom Valley, but the purple has since changed location, the red one supposedly ended up in the area around the train station, but I can't believe no one's found it by now…and the green and cyan ones haven't been marked on radar yet." She lifted her eyebrows at me as she smirked. "Strange how those are the very two same emeralds we ended up finding in the future…"

"…halt your discussion temporarily," Omega interrupted, and I could see the gears churning in his mind. "The green emerald…was the one you had given to me to deliver to Shadow in the future."

"Yes?" Rouge confirmed with a question.

"…but you found that emerald in the future, in the same area you located me in stasis no less," Omega finished. "So…was this emerald from the future or the present?"

I mulled it over, tired of all this time travel business, but I managed to come up with something though it was farfetched.

"If we consider that the emerald we found in the future initially came from Omega, then we must've originally found it in the present," I reasoned. "See, because if that emerald was given to Omega in the present, then we got it from him in the future, then Rouge brought it BACK to the present, and then once more gave it to Omega to hold until it was needed in the future, where I then brought it back AGAIN-!"

"It would be put back where it belonged then, wouldn't it?" Rouge asked, scratching her ear. "Or did I miss something in that fast-paced explanation?"

"Either that or there are two green emeralds in the present," Omega reasoned. "Wouldn't the me of now, who is currently in standby, be holding the green emerald in question at this time?"

"Well, if we assume that in the 'original timeline' that Shadow and I never got thrown into the future in the first place-" Rouge began, but I cupped my hand over her mouth and shook my head.

"Nope, nope, nope. We've tried making sense of time travel enough, and we just keep digging deeper holes. Let's stop while we're ahead," I insisted.

Rouge wrestled my hand off her face as she grimaced at me. "Whatever. So, the green emerald is with Present Omega and/or with us, and that's final. What ISN'T final is where the present's cyan emerald is, because the one Sonic has is undeniably from the future."

"Well if five or six out of seven managed to land here, then it wouldn't be outlandish to think that it's somewhere in Soleanna too," I finalized. "Besides, there's no doubt in my mind now. _His_ movement shows that he's seeking _any_ Chaos Emerald he can find, no matter where or when. I'm supposing he needs them to join with Iblis again."

_The Chaos Emeralds would be just the thing to give a demigod the power to merge with his other half, after all…_

Omega took a few confident steps forward. "I will seal him before that."

"I certainly hope so," mused Rouge. "Considering what we do know about the Chaos Emeralds in the present, Mephiles could easily get his hands on them…we've seen what he can do without them too!"

"Then let's quit speculating on the what if and take action on what's happening now," I declared, ending the conversation and making my way down the stairs. The argument seemed to have left Rouge as she darted after me, and Omega didn't have anything left to say either as he thudded behind. I did still think it weird that the emeralds ended up in one place, almost like they had _anticipated_ something occurring the area…

_And if my team and I didn't act fast enough, something definitely would._

. . .

Needless to say, almost instantly I was presented with a Hover Vehicle that had been partially buried in the sand, and before Rouge could bring up an argument that I could cross the sand without worry of sinking into it with the contraption, I had already hopped in and fastened my seatbelt. Rouge gave me a knowing smirk as she slid in next to me, and Omega had managed to position himself on the back.

"…are you going to be okay back there?" I asked.

"As long as you don't drive like an escaped convict, he should be," Rouge tittered in response. As I sulked quietly, Omega whirled around and threw up his hand.

"Positioning is optimal for fastest route to Chaos Emerald. Proceed when ready."

Seeing as I had the go ahead, I vamped up the engine and let it go, starting our crusade across the sand. Knowing that we were on our way to stop Mephiles once and for all was a little nerve-wracking, but I knew I was ready for it. Rouge and Omega wouldn't let anything happen to me, and no longer would Mephiles be able to stand smugly over us when we had the advantage over him!

I guess I should've been a bit more concerned, but I kept in mind that I had taken on the leader of an entire race of aliens and destroyed their vile home right after I finished with him…if I could do that, I could take on anything! Mephiles may have been smug and deceitful, but I was certain I could seal him away, because after all, I had already done it once. I hadn't really liked it, knowing that I had condemned Mephiles to ten years of solitude, but to let him run free was to seal our own fates. The Day of Disaster would have come much earlier, and much more violently.

_I did what I had to…_

"Comrade Shadow, are you certain on your course of action?" Omega asked me, noticing how I was erratically jerking the wheel. Rouge leaned back and folded her arms behind her head.

"I told you he drives like a criminal on the run or something…"

"Hey! I'm trying to avoid these pillars that keep popping up out of nowhere!"

I wasn't lying- they kept shooting out of the ground like ruins were going out of style, and I swear some of them came close to skewering the vehicle. They eventually became even more problematic than the monsters we were chasing, because I shot those annoying creatures down with ridiculous ease; the pillars were much more stubborn.

The sun was falling lower into the sky, a slow but painful reminder of the time that was trickling away. Despite its low angle, it still managed to get in my eye, and glancing to my right I found Rouge trying to shield her eyes with her hand. A terse smirk stretched across my face in response.

"Hm, too bad you don't have those sunglasses now."

She gave me a fierce look, but surprisingly didn't hit me. "Oh, stop. It's not like it's a big deal."

"Can't this method of transport move at a more optimal pace?" Omega commented, and if he wasn't a robot I'm pretty sure the comment would've come off as a whine. I grimaced and gripped the steering.

"Well, when one of you finds where the Chaos Emerald is and directs me in that direction so we don't have to use these obnoxious monsters as a compass, then MAYBE we can make some progress-!"

"Found it," Rouge deadpanned without the slightest bit of hesitance, lazily extending her arm out toward a huge brick build not too far away. Making a face, I whipped around to face her.

"What the-? You couldn't have pointed this out to me earlier?!"

"You didn't ask- you seemed like you knew what you were doing, but I guess I was wrong," she mused, and I steamed quietly in my seat. Omega piping up afterwards didn't really help anything.

"Yes, sensors detect an object containing condense Chaos Energy…deduced as Chaos Emerald. Also, picking up Mephiles' energy signature heading in that direction."

_At least I knew now…!_

Saying nothing, I violently changed the direction of the Hover Vehicle, causing Rouge to jerk in her seat and for Omega to grab onto the side for dear life. Sand went everywhere, mostly landing on Rouge who proceeded to shriek about it moments later. The turrets went off wildly and I shot them forward, wiping out any monsters lingering in our path. The door to the temple was slowly opening with the closer I got to it, so I aimed for the doorway and jerked the controls forward.

"It should just be a bit further from here…" I trailed, letting go of the steering wheel and standing in my seat. "…now get ready to Triangle Dive!"

Rouge and Omega froze for a moment, exchanging a look, but they didn't bother questioning my motives thanks to the dead serious look I wore. I held out my hands, gesturing for them to hurry, so Rouge grabbed my left and Omega latched onto my left…and we jumped.

The Hover Vehicle kept going forward with momentum, crashing into the opposite wall when the floor ran out, a trap set to prevent access to the ruins I'm sure. Rouge, Omega, and I had begun to fall into the pit, circling each other. I was really glad that the other two had complied so readily…because otherwise we would've gotten up close and personal with that wall.

"Okay, since we have no idea how deep this goes, I'll take the lead," Rouge commented, letting go of Omega and latching onto me with both hands. Omega then grabbed my legs, and once we were in a line, Rouge spread her wings and caught the air, not only slowing our descent but also taking full control of it. She brought us down far more gently than simply freefalling would have, Omega touching the floor below with a dull thud. He let go of me, and then Rouge set me down next to him.

The area was dark, almost like we were in a cave, but there were man-made structures in the area, so I knew it couldn't be entirely the case.

"Hmm, I wonder if that trap sent us below the temple," I deducted, running forward.

"It sure looks like it," Rouge commented, gesturing to the wall. "That is definitely one hundred percent a cave. The real question is; how low did we go…?"

"Elevation does not matter as long as we apprehend Enemy Mephiles!" Omega exclaimed loudly. The sound echoed all through the empty area.

"Then I guess we'd better get moving," I replied, going faster as we fell into speed formation. It was cold in this underground area, which was a stark contrast to the diminishing heat up above, but it also was refreshing in a way. I looked down and saw that a pool of water had built up below us, and looking up, I discovered a cluster of bats resting on the ceiling.

_Rouge's cousins, maybe?_

Omega must've looked up as well, but the light from his eyes managed to be enough to irritate the bats, causing them all to chitter away and fly straight at us, blocking our line of sight. Rouge yelped and shielded herself, while I merely swatted them out of my way as they came down at me. Omega was far less merciful, swapping his hands to his blasters and going wild on the things.

"Rouge! Tell your comrades to cease this needless attack at once!" he ordered, firing in all directions yet somehow managing not to hit any of the bats…unless you counted Rouge.

"Ow! Omega, I have no control over what these things do…!"

Thankfully, the exit wasn't too terribly far away, so I jumped up out of the cave and tumbled through a hole in a wall. The other side revealed the inside of the temple Rouge had pointed out earlier, so at least we were in the right place. Inside the dimly lit room there were three lizards lying in wait, so Rouge, Omega, and I sprang into action immediately.

"We'll be sending your master your way shortly," Rouge smirked tersely, kicking one of them into a wall then finishing it off with a bomb. Omega was gleefully overkilling the second lizard with a barrage of missiles, and I had simply finished mine off with a Chaos Spear. Needless to say, they had gone down pretty easily, but we were still exhausting ourselves…

_Which was probably how Mephiles wanted us, if we were to catch up with him._

I grimaced at my thoughts and turned to carry on, my footsteps echoing in the emptiness of the chamber. There was a door, but it was currently shut. The only other things of interest were the twin statues on the back wall, with two torches and an altar between them. I really didn't have long to look at them, because the door on the other side had slid open with sand drizzling down, and I didn't have a second to lose. Rouge and Omega were right on my heels as we entered the next room, which was drastically different from the previous one.

"Is that…a sand wave coming toward us?" Rouge asked, and sure enough, a tsunami of sand was rippling across the floor. I eyed it suspiciously before shaking my head.

"Well, can't cross this room the conventional way…" I huffed, turning back to Rouge. "Flight Formation?"

"We don't really have much of a choice, especially if we want to get Omega through all this," Rouge pointed out, starting to fly. She then latched onto my hands and guided me over to Omega. When my robotic teammate was secure, Rouge lifted us up and carried us over from platform to platform, just like old times. In fact, I almost felt a bit nostalgic, recalling that first time we had attempted Flight Formation in Seaside Hill, and how Rouge had struggled with it slightly. Now she was doing it like it was second nature!

"Targets within range. Destroying immediately!" Omega announced, letting go of one of my legs so he could aim. A few fire birds were flying about the area, but with Omega's quick aim and deadly precision and accuracy they were sent falling into the sand wave below. This made it easier for Rouge to navigate at least, allowing us to land intact on the other side of the room. As soon as we entered into the next room, Omega began beeping and whirling around, and I almost though he was broken.

"Switch detected ahead. I will push the switch. Comrades Shadow and Rouge wait here," he ordered, not even giving us a chance to respond as he jumped off the edge into the room below. I watched him quietly as he made his way down.

"Why does he want to hit the switch so badly?" I asked, though I stayed put regardless. Rouge merely shrugged indifferently.

"Maybe he was getting restless?"

"…robots get restless?"

"Not the weirdest thing we've ever thought of, hon."

"…this is true."

**S-O**

Request for accessing room switch has been granted. Registering newly acquired mission to Data Banks. Switch in question located at the farthest point in the room from point of entry. Area barricaded by unsightly monsters and too many crates. Destroy immediately. Two blasts from cannon shall be sufficient for each titan. Efficiently is ideal! Monsters of Mephiles shall not hinder me now! I will do what I must to assist Comrade Shadow!

Shadow, he who has forgiven me for what I've done.

Maintain focus on path ahead- entering new hall. Scanning surroundings…area designated as dimly lit hall with bottomless pit for a floor. Initiating boosters! Time it correctly…and jump! Landing successful! Proceeding through next door. Sensors detect unnatural amounts of sand- the only way across is via platforms! Initiating boosters and backup thrusters! Failure is not an option.

Stable ground reached, but path is barricaded by brick wall. Annihilate obstacle of obstruction! Fire, fire! Leave no brick undetonated! Destruction successful- pressing onward! …yet, sensors detect that the next door is guarded by surrounding enemies. I must do my thing and attack them! Assessing threat: enemies consist of "fire lizards", "fire birds," and titans. Threat level: moderate. Level of concern for safety: 5 percent. This will be easy.

Approaching enemies- turrets set to rapid fire! Must annihilate all Mephiles monsters! Let no monster go unpunished! Diagnosis dictates that Mephiles is the source for Comrade Shadow's current problems…the time travel incident, the self-doubt, the attempts to refuse into Solaris…he must be halted at all costs!

Scanners indicate that Mephiles shouldn't be taken lightly- he consists of dangerously high condensed energy. His current form is only made possible through the corruption of Shadow's shadow- without that, Mephiles would have nothing to build off of, forced to maneuver as nothing more than a puddle of matter. ...but I will do everything in my ability to see him brought to his knees.

I despite time travel. And I despise Mephiles.

Silver the Hedgehog is not at fault for this time mess. He is merely an unfortunate pawn.

Event at fault: Breaking of the scepter.

Person at fault: Doctor Eggman. I must remember to destroy him at a future time for this.

Main processor veering dangerously off track. Reassessing surroundings…ruined area. Current task: destroying monsters to open door. Monsters remaining: one. Monster type: Titan. Of course. Initiate inferno laser! No mercy, no mercy!

Hulking monster: destroyed! Proceeding through opening door. Many stairs ahead…but no sign of Target Mephiles. Most unfortunate.

"Switch detected nearby…evaluating location straightaway!"

Switch located to the north of me. Destroy lingering monsters and advance to switch. Initial dual offense-defense mode for maximum progress. The walls in this room are high- take caution on maneuvering around them. Approaching designated point…switch activated. Comrades Shadow and Rouge may proceed in temple.

I shall meet up with them immediately.

**O-S**

"Omega's done it. Let's move on…!"

When Omega finally caught back up with us, he pointed us in the right direction, and speed became the priority. The way he opened up appeared to lead back down into the caves, with a singular path and very little enemies, especially compared to the previous droves we encountered. Bones and fossils decorated the walls, depicting what I think were dinosaurs- but I'm not a paleontologist, so I couldn't give a professional opinion.

"It…shouldn't be too much farther," Rouge stated, trying to keep our hopes high as we entered another part of the temple. A herd of monsters waited us at the corner, so Rouge produced a bomb and threw it at them to get their attention, with Omega stepping forward and launching his missiles. I had started to move in to help too, but Rouge suddenly grabbed me and gave me a small smile.

"Ah…you'd better leave these guys to us," she suggested a little too brightly. "After all, if we're closing in on Mephiles, you're going to need as much of your strength as you can maintain."

I was about to protest to this, but Rouge and Omega had started working in unison, Omega shielding Rouge from stronger attacks and Rouge getting in small yet successive kicks when she could. They circled each other like a tornado, mowing down their enemies like they were weeds. I just stood off to the side, watching them make quick work of the monsters. I knew Rouge was right, but…knowing that only served to unsettle me.

_I had just barely managed to escape Mephiles the last time…_

If Omega hadn't activated when he did, Mephiles would've put an end to me in that perilous future and who knows what would've become of the present. Mephiles could mirror everything I did, and yet do more…he could merge into my shadow, and he could be untouchable while I was left vulnerable to his endless droves of shades. He was half of a deity and I was…supposedly the Ultimate Life Form, but I never fully believed in such a title. It's nothing but an artifact to me now…

"Yet somehow he knew," I murmured under my breath, just in time for Rouge and Omega to come back to me, victorious but looking worse for wear. I cringed upon seeing their rather shaggy state, noticing a few scorch marks adorning the both of them.

"…needless to say, they've gotten stronger," Rouge stated lightly, though she was visibly upset at finding one of her gloves torn slightly at the top.

"Only minor repairs will be needed," Omega assured as well, swapping his blasters out for his hands again.

"Nargh, you shouldn't have taken it upon yourselves…!"

Rouge sauntered over to me and put a hand on my shoulder, almost giving me a scolding look. "Hey, we're doing this for your sake, so don't make us feel guilty!"

I clenched my fist and bit back my next remark- they were only trying to help me out, but them getting hurt just for my sake…?!

_Now I could see why Sonic blamed himself for things so often._

"Detecting high energy signatures on the other side of the hall door…diagnosed as Mephiles," Omega bleeped, pointing forward at a door that was resting at the end of the hall. Hearing that Mephiles was just behind that door made my breath hitch, but this wasn't the time for hesitation. Before I could second guess myself, I steeled my nerves and made a beeline for that door, pushing away all thoughts of turning around now. There was no need for me to turn back- I could stop Mephiles, and I was the only one who knew how to do so…and with my friends backing me up, I had no reason to fear him either.

"…let's get that Chaos Emerald, put an end to Mephiles once and for all, and stop him from plunging the world into an even worse future than what was originally preordained."

Rouge smiled and gave me a victory sign while Omega loudly proclaimed how he would bring Mephiles to his knees. I couldn't help but smirk the slightest bit, some of my anxiety being elevated away. I then put my hands on the door and proceeded to push it open, bracing myself for whatever trial awaited me**.**

* * *

**...Shadow's final fight is neeeeeeext! *pumped* Well, technically everyone's "last fight" is next week, but that means the end of Shadow and Silver's stories! **


	11. Beyond the Shadow of a Doubt

**Cf96: **Yeah, I'm bummed too. After all, this is the last time most of these characters have any relevance!

**Christian Ape99**: Thanks! Hopefully this is up to your expectations. :)

. . .

**Here we are, Shadow's final chapter...the story continues in Chapter 17 of _We Both Remember_, but still...it's all so bittersweet. ;-;**

**...Sayonara, Shadow the Hedgehog.**

* * *

In the Shadow of a Doubt

Chapter 11: Beyond the Shadow of a Doubt

The area we entered was another cave, but it wasn't nearly as dark or dank as the ones underground. It was wide, spacious, and relatively bright, and lingering remains of the ruins were evident. My team and I jumped down from the alcove and worked our way forward, with Omega confirming that Mephiles was in the room with us. He and Rouge flew on ahead, with me skating towards the back, only because I wanted a few more seconds of time to register what exactly was about to go down…

_And about what I was going to have to do._

When I looked up, I braked to a stop in front of Rouge and Omega, spotting my adversary residing at the top of a tall altar in the center of the area. He was floating above the ground, his back toward us and a ghastly purple aura surrounding him like his own personal cloud.

"Mephiles!"

With only a turn of his head, Mephiles glanced over his shoulder menacingly, glowering at the three of us with his grotesquely-colored eyes.

"I was expecting you sooner," he finally spoke, turning to face us fully with a trace of genuine disappointment hidden in his tone. "As you must know, you're already too late."

He perched the yellow Chaos Emerald atop his crystal-tipped fingers, and I really hated how he didn't have a mouth, because it was impossible to tell what was going through that twisted head of his.

_And I wasn't about to look him in the eye for longer than I needed to._

"But there's still time for you to change your mind. Join me, Shadow," he continued, like the solution he was proposing to me was the only option. "Let us teach the world a lesson…and rewrite the future!"

How many times was I going to be forced into such a situation? Teach the world a lesson? Join forces with questionable people? Destroy the world? Well, too bad for Mephiles! I wasn't the lost amnesiac looking for my place in the world anymore! I knew who I was and where I wanted to be, and he wasn't going to change that for me now!

_No good would come with joining the abomination that tried to kill me…!_

"Don't try to deceive me!" I yelled, taking a step forward and scowling. Mephiles, still in his high and mighty pose, actually snapped his head down to face me directly, appearing stunned at my strong rebuttal.

"What!?"

"You heard me." I narrowed my eyes and pointed accusingly at him, sick of the lies he insisted on feeding to everyone. "You have no desire for revenge- I know that better than anyone! You only crave destruction, but not just any destruction…you want to fuse back into Solaris so you'll be at your maximum power! You lust to fuel Iblis until there is nothing left of time itself!"

"Solaris was so strong…which was why the Royal Family was entrusted with the eternal flame, to prevent it from growing and abusing its power…" Rouge trailed, clasping her hands behind her back. "But they started experimenting on it, and it got out of hand, and it resulted in that deadly splicing…"

Mephiles grew quiet, like he was contemplating the moment he'd been separated from Iblis. I'd been there too, a witness to that horrific event, but to actually go through with that process and experience it? I couldn't even begin to fathom such a thing…

"I shouldn't expect you to understand the workings of divinity, but I offer you a position of power alongside me- a salvation, if you will," Mephiles began again. "Only a true fool would pass up the opportunity of a lifetime. By my side, you can live forever, in a life where all those who have wronged you can vanish in an instant…!"

I closed my eyes, falling silent at his latest offer.

Maybe…if I'd still been who I used to be, that recently reawakened experiment on Prison Island that carried the delirious desire for revenge his creator had left to him, then perhaps I would have taken him up on his offer. I'd be able to get revenge on all the faultless humans I believed had taken my best friend and my family away from me, and get that vengeance I had so desperately craved.

Maybe…if I'd still been who I used to be, that amnesiac hedgehog that couldn't tell right from wrong and went down the incorrect path many times, then maybe I would've listened to what he had to say. I gave Black Doom that chance, but pretty quickly I realized that he wanted nothing from me but to use me as his tool, and he insisted on badgering me right until his very end.

But I wasn't either of those people anymore. I was simply Shadow the Hedgehog, and my new life was just getting started! As long as I had a say in it, I would never stand by Mephiles' side!

_Nothing could deter me from my stance…!_

"…I'm already going to live forever, Mephiles, and it's true that one day I will eventually lose my friends," I began, eyes still closed. "…but I would rather live my life alone forever than live it next to you, in a world where time itself is unraveled beyond repair!"

He let out a low and raspy hum at my claim, his grip on the emerald becoming tighter the longer he glowered at me.

"It's a pity, Shadow the Hedgehog." Mephiles held the emerald out in his hand and let it float over his head, all while he aimed a particularly murderous glare in my direction. "…truly a_ shame_ that you'd wish to go against me!"

The yellow emerald suddenly resonated with power, and as Rouge and I instinctively took a step back Omega raised his fist, preparing to fire at any moment. The emerald resonated again, unleashing a stronger blast of power this time that I could feel it where I was. A third flash, and the three of us were pushed backwards by an invisible force. Rouge spread her wings and tried to fly against it while Omega relied on his thrusters, but the force had completely toppled me over. I managed to use my jet shoes and a backflip to upright myself, though by the time I landed, I was greeted to rather unfavorable sight.

"I'll make sure you regret this, Shadow the Hedgehog…"

Mephiles was suddenly in front of me, hovering over the floor as it began to turn purple right before my eyes. The strange liquid that began pooling beneath our feet wavered and rippled about in a way that made me feel dizzy, and Rouge wasn't taking too kindly to it either.

"Man I hope this stuff doesn't stain…"

_And so it begins._

"Mephiles! I won't let you escape!"

"Who said I was trying to?" Mephiles taunted back, though he continued to distance himself from us. He hovered way out of our reach, holding out his arms in an anticlimactic fashion. Within seconds, high-pitched chittering laughter surrounded us, belonging to the rapidly appearing shades Mephiles conjured up. They swirled about in the air, emerging from the liquid on the floor or merely appearing out of nowhere, but that_ sound_ they were making…!

"It's…putrid!" I hissed, putting my hands to my ears as I skated around the area. Mephiles resided in the middle, simply floating there with his eyes teeming at me. I growled and decided enough was enough. I warped right in front of him, ready to kick at him just like I did before. Just as I went in to move, he laughed in my face and swung his arm, casting me away and sending me toppling again.

"You got lucky last time, Shadow! To think that such fortune would hold out now is imprudent!"

I slammed straight into the ground, landing in the purple liquid. Mephiles' shades emerged from the murky pool and started to grab at me, but I blasted them away with Chaos Blast before Rouge swooped in and lifted me out of the muck.

"How are we supposed to approach this guy?! He's nothing like anything I've ever faced!" she exclaimed, and I feared I didn't really have an answer for her.

"That last time, he wasn't even fighting me at full strength, and he nearly bested me-"

"Drown in darkness!" Mephiles interrupted, sending his shades to tackle Rouge out of the air and slam her into a pillar. I was left to free fall, but more shades came down and forced me towards the ground, but I wasn't about to fall for the same thing twice. Right before I fell back first, I flipped the shade grabbing me toward the floor, making HIM be the one to drown in darkness. With that out of the way, I turned back to Rouge, who was now slumped on the ground, but Omega's sudden shouts distracted me from her.

"Visual on Mephiles has decreased! Tracing energy signature…beneath the suspicious liquid?"

The thought of Mephiles lurking below us now was unsettling, and I couldn't spot him anywhere in the purple and black vastness. Omega was frantically searching for him too, even randomly shooting at the ground for good measure.

"Hey, hey hey…!" Rouge started screaming, pointing behind me. "That doesn't look good!"

I whipped my head around to see _something_ glowing a brilliant shade of violet, and causing the entire area to quake dangerously. Then, in an inexplicable display, a large blue hand reached up out of the pool, as if some lurking monster below was trying to pull himself out of hell itself. My eyes went wide as second arm shot up, giving the creature full strength to emerge from the muck.

_Upon closer inspection…it must've been Mephiles, but…in a form that resembled Iblis…_

Rouge flat out screamed while Omega started firing at it, but that abomination swatted away his attacks like they weren't even there. Omega then lowered his blasters and started diagnosing the monster, his processor whirling loudly.

"Scan indicates that entity consists of numerous shadows. Still, I believe it can be destroyed!"

"Is there…more of them?!" Rouge exclaimed, looking around frantically. Sure enough, two more were resting on the edges of the room, and all three of them leaned forward and strafed beams of energy across the floor. I started skating away instantly, with Rouge and Omega close behind.

"Okay, maybe it's not Mephiles…" I murmured lowly.

"Well, he has to be the source of them!" Rouge protested, hastily looking over her shoulder at the oncoming beam.

"Then what happened to Mephiles himself?" wondered Omega. I clenched my teeth and searched the pool of seething shades, but no sign of Mephiles would surface.

_Once again, he had trumped me…!_

"ARRRRRRRGH….!"

Rouge and Omega stopped and froze, watching as I kept bolting forward with frustration, skating straight up to one of the monsters. I sprang into the air, narrowly avoiding the laser it was firing and landing over its head. Using my jet shoes to keep me in the air, I ravenously attacked its face, knowingly not doing much damage but needing something as an outlet for my pent up fury.

Why was I getting so angry? Was it because Mephiles had my hands tied at every turn, or was it because there was nothing I could do no matter how hard I tried? Had I truly reached the limits of what I could do?! …did I really merely get lucky last time? Was I doomed to be stuck in this sense of doubt forever?!

_Am I…destined to repeat all the mistakes I made before?_

I thought I was so sure of what I wanted- I had found out who I was, and I was strictly ready to move forward…so why was I constantly harrowing back on those hard times I went through?! They weren't me; they weren't me…so where was this doubt coming from?!

_All these questions clouding my mind…just like before…_

My focus wavered, and it felt like my entire body was backhanded by the monster I was trying to attack. My vision went blurry and my hearing became all stuffy the moment I slammed into the ground, and the world began to swirl in a sickening spiral. I tried to make out the sounds of Omega thudding over to me and Rouge calling my name, but they were lost in a sea of static, and I couldn't tell what was up or down or what was going on anymore…

_There was only so much I could take._

I thought I had faced all my demons and purged all my troubles from all of me…I moved on from my life on the ARK, I forgave myself for what I had tried to do to the world, and I learned that my friends would always have my back until they very bitter end, but that was before Mephiles became entangled in my life; before he effortlessly resurfaced all the things I had wanted to move away from. He put Silver into that same impossible situation I was in, he wanted Sonic dead, and he was trying to drive me back into a shadow of my former self just for a sick kick…!

My thoughts were muddled now; nothing was clear, and I couldn't discern what was certain and what was doubt. I couldn't defeat Mephiles like this- not with my thoughts in a mess and the shreds of doubt in my heart-

Wait…huh?

"_Thoughts are turned into power, yes…but power is enriched by the heart. Even if your thoughts are a jumbled mess…or you can't remember them at all…if there is even a shred of doubt in your heart…you're not going to get anywhere at all."_

I knew that- Sonic told me that just before I went off to confront Devil Doom. I had stood so strong against him in our previous encounter, but when it came time to use the emeralds, I found it hard to tap into their positive power after being hit with so much negative…but Sonic had helped me realize something.

"_You are you no matter what, past or no past…"_

I am all of me, and I knew that better than anyone else. I knew that choosing between right and wrong could be like battling a war within yourself, but the extremes were always the same. White is black and black is white; right is wrong and wrong is right…but nothing could ever fill the hole inside my heart. That destruction would be the only tale I'd tell…

"_Your past is not you, just the things you've done, and you can't go back to them no matter how hard you try."_

I've suffered for so long, and in the end, that was precisely what set me free. I remember gaining my memories back all at once, finally recalling the brunt of everything I had experienced. Only through the trials of our lives do we find the strength we need. Turmoil may shape us, but it also makes us ready for the next thing to come our way. It's never over- it's just another day of hope, tragedies, and everything that comes our way…!

My eyesight was slowly coming back, and the sound of the world around me grew louder.

"_The key to being happy is to never look back, and keep your eyes focused on the future- on what you can do next, and where_ you_ want to go."_

Somewhere in chaos we all find ourselves…Through the determination of the strong, we can find the meaning that we've searched for so long! My ghosts won't bring me down…and when there's nothing left for me to lose…_that's_ when I win.

Finally, things started making sense again, and eventually I realized that Omega had moved me behind a tall pillar for protection, and Rouge had hoisted me up in her arms, repeatedly chanting my name. I could hear thrashing and attacking going on in the distance, which wasn't a very reassuring sound.

"Come on, Shadow; you can't be taken out that easily! …don't you dare die on me again!"

Rouge was gripping me tighter, and after shaking my head, I tried to sit up by myself.

"Good Lord, I'm not dead…don't start the eulogy for me."

Rouge let out a sharp laugh of relief before she started shaking me. "Well stop scaring me like that, jerk! What happened, exactly!?"

I tried to pull my way out of her grip, but she wasn't letting go until she knew every detail. Sighing, I caved in and went limp, trying to recount what I had gone through.

"Mephiles…he was using my greatest weakness against me, and I only just now realize that…" I trailed, grabbing my head. "I may have been able to stand against it, but he had me doubting myself…"

"You have no need to doubt," Omega confirmed, holding out his hand. "As long as you're certain of who you are, no one else should be able to sway you otherwise."

"Yeah, I know that now…guess we all need is a potentially lethal smack across the face by a demonic monster from time to time to get us back on the right track."

"Stop," Rouge smirked, helping me back to my feet. "This is _so_ not the time for your warped sense of humor."

Leaning on the pillar to regain my balance, I dusted myself off and looked around. The three monsters were still going rampant on the area, and Mephiles was still nowhere in sight. Omega said that those creatures were nothing but shadows, which meant that they were just like the shades…and if I attacked them long enough, I'd be able to build up enough power to draw out Mephiles again.

"Okay," I stated, stretching my neck and loosening my arms. "I'm going to need your guys' help to give me an opening. Are you ready?"

"Assistance online and ready to function!" Onega declared, swinging his arms around and turning them into his cannons. Rouge merely took out one of her bombs and eagerly tossed it around in her hand.

"I've been waiting all _day_ to hear you say that."

They wasted no time in running back out to the battlefield, where the trio of monsters roared and instantly began shooting lasers across the area. Omega was fast to react, repelling one of them back with his own inferno laser, keeping it at bay just long enough for me to skate over there, fly up, and attack again.

"Just like that Omega!" I called, knocking my opponent several times in the head and maneuvering out of the way when he tried to swat again. The fact that he missed caused him to let up on the laser, allowing Omega to get in his blow, nailing the monster in the face just as I flipped down its back, skating off to the next monster. My aura was glowing slightly, but it wasn't enough- not yet.

Rouge was busy keeping the second one distracted, nailing it with bombs at every chance she got. Otherwise she was busy spiraling and spinning about in the air, narrowly missing shots from the beam. Regardless, she still moved like each motion was choreographed, so I used this to get around the monster and attack it from behind. It lurched and roared in response, its back arching as I drilled into it with a spin dash. I could feel my aura growing stronger, even after I had forced the monster back into the floor, but I still needed just a little more.

"Let's go!" I demanded, skating straight at the third one. Its blue and purple exterior was glowing blindingly as it slapped its hand on the ground in an effort to squash me. I darted around it with ease before falling into ball form and launching myself up at its head with a Light Speed Dash. It was a direct hit, sending the monster bending backwards as it recoiled from my strike.

With Omega, Rouge, and I all tackling the monsters separately, they were unable to work with each other. They were left divided and conquered, and with no other choice than to surrender. When all three of them receded back into the ground, I found myself into the middle of the area, glowing red and feeling stronger than ever.

"Come out and face me, Mephiles…!" I blared, expelling my power in the form of a Chaos Blast. It was strong enough to completely obliterate the purple goo that covered the floor, and prevent the monsters from respawning. A purple portal suddenly opened up not too far from me, and out emerged Mephiles, spiraling around and not looking happy.

"You will regret that recent choice!" he hissed, wasting no time in hurling his blue orbs down at me. I darted out of the way and threw myself at him, swinging my leg and making contact with his head. "Gah…!"

"I'll make you regret ALL of your choices!" I shot back, refusing to let up on my assault. However, Mephiles managed to grab my fist at one point and force me to the ground, lowing himself down to be at my level.

"Do you really think you can take on a god like me?!"

He started darting around the area, leaving a purple streak behind him as he went. Omega began firing his heat-seeking missiles, but either Mephiles was moving far too abruptly or he had no energy signature to trace, because he was able to redirect them at every turn and laugh about it. His impish darting around the area was annoying, so I predicted where he'd be, warped in front of him, and punched him in the face. He stumbled backwards, wiping his arm across his face as he glowered at me.

"Nrgh…come closer if you dare!" he challenged me, arms lit up in purple. I sneered and drove at him, welcoming the invitation.

"With pleasure!"

I went low at him, but he hovered just out of the way and went at me with a strike of his own. I bent back and tried to kick, but he pushed my ankle out of the way. Mephiles was ready for me blow for blow and he was dead set on finding a hole in my defenses. It was hard enough for me to even attempt attacks, because eventually he overwhelmed me and landed a kick to my torso.

His vexing laugh pounded against my eardrums as I skid forcefully along the ground. I also heard Rouge shriek at the sight, and as I pushed myself up, I saw her hurling bombs frantically at Mephiles. The demon chortled even harder as he knocked away all of Rouge's explosives, causing them to backfire and detonate on her. She was forced to the ground, but she alighted on her feet, turning back to Mephiles with an angry sneer.

"You monster! We'll finish you!"

"Really? Your efforts so far are most discouraging," he huffed back. That made Omega furious, as he lifted his blasters and managed to hit Mephiles square in the back.

"Chances of success are 96.4 percent, and I believe in our odds!" he boomed, firing another round. Mephiles cackled and spread his arms out, welcoming the attack just like he had in Wave Ocean. When Omega reloaded, Mephiles used that brief moment to conjure up one of his spheres and send it Omega's way.

"Will you still be saying that when you're in pieces?!"

There was no way Omega could move fast enough to dodge that blow, but I could, swinging to my feet and hurling a condensed Chaos Blast into the air. Thankfully I had managed to connect it with Mephiles' attack, sending it off course and into a pillar, which promptly detonated.

"Leave them alone!" I shouted, readying a Chaos Spear in my hand. "It's me you want- keep them out of it!"

"They're the ones who attacked ME!" Mephiles howled, waving his arms until he had a huge amount of power charged up. He launched the large sphere at Rouge this time, which was yet another cheap shot from Mephiles. Grimacing, I activated my jets and glided over to Rouge at top speed, barely able to make it in front of her in time to put up a shield with Chaos Blast. Mephiles' attack pounded against my shield, but while the two of us remained unhurt, it still sent us flying backward against our will.

"Argh…!"

My shoes grinded against the floor as I stopped myself, falling to one knee and a hand as I looked back up at Mephiles. He was relentless, throwing another attack at me without warning. At the last moment I teleported to its right, feeling it explode right next to me.

_That could've been me!_

"You're really asking for it…!" I threatened, throwing my hands back and preparing a Chaos Spear in each one, like a golden fire flying out of my fists. Mephiles appeared bemused, even going so far as to make a thinking pose in midair.

"All I've asked from you was to join me, but you so rudely declined that offer, remember?"

Mephiles was suddenly in front of me again, my instincts kicking in as I bent to the left to avoid a sharp uppercut. In his fleeting moment of confusion, I jammed the side of my fist into his abdomen, driving my charged spear into his side. He actually howled at this, but in the midst of his pain he managed to get his hand around my neck and throttle me, using his other hand to charge up an attack and plow it into my stomach.

"Why fight a battle whose victor has already been predetermined?" he asked aloofly, letting me drop to the ground without an ounce of humanity. While my stomach was doing flips and I felt like throwing up, I refused to go down again, so I warped back into the air and threw some Chaos Spears at Mephiles. I nailed him in the head, which should've done something, but he merely let himself descend. Seeing him get closer to the ground, I ran at him, but he vanished into the floor before I could get at him.

"Damn it…!" I hissed pounding at the floor. "Where do you keep going?!"

Eventually Mephiles remerged behind me, appearing twice as grim and solemn.

"Looking for me?"

And right in front of my very eyes, Mephiles split into two, then three…and all of them were readying individual attacks between their hands. No way could I deflect all three of them!

"HAH!"

Trying to evade one was to move in the line of fire of another, but all three rammed into me like a locomotive, with the following explosion sending me upwards. When I reached the peak of my ascent, one of the Mephiles was there to kick me down…then another…and another…until I fell so hard that the ground cracked beneath me.

_How am I not dead?_

"Ooog…what the…?"

I felt myself being lifted, and glancing over my shoulder revealed that it was Omega. He set me back on my feet before stepping forward, watching Mephiles circle about the area and create a shade with every passing second.

"He cannot be allowed to roam like this for much longer!" he exclaimed, turning down to me. "We must incapacitate him immediately so you can seal him!"

"I don't…know how much more fight…is in me…" I murmured, staggering where I stood.

"The only way we can get him is if we strike him and all his clones at once," Rouge pointed out, flying next to me. "Otherwise he'll just keep multiplying."

"Well what…do you want me…to do about it?" I panted, turning up to her. Rouge merely smiled and plucked the green Chaos Emerald off my person and waved it in front of me. I glanced at Omega too- he had his cannons all ready for the preemptive strike. Finally, I faced Mephiles, who had us surrounded by his clones with him in the middle. He was conjuring up the large blue and purple sphere yet and, this one was streaked with black in certain spots.

"Sink into darkness!"

Omega and Rouge turned to me as I watched that mass of power descend down upon us. I kept my eyes locked onto it as I held out my Chaos Emerald, the gem beginning to gleam when I drew out its power. I then blinked, crouched down, spun, and held the emerald over my head, yelling with a newfound conviction.

"Chaos…CONTROL!"

Time slowed down to a stop except for my friends and I, leaving Rouge wide open to heft Omega into the air, and for Omega to launch the Inferno Laser. The powerful pink beam swept across the area, spearing Mephiles' shades with its light and turning them into dust. The area was cleaned up almost instantly, although the true Mephiles had been untouched, as his control over time allowed him to nullify the time freeze and leave himself unscathed.

"Ha ha ha…HA HA HA!" he cackled toward Rouge and Omega as they returned to the ground. "Using a time-warp against a master of time? Fruitless, and truly futile. You can destroy as many of my copies as you like, but you'll_ never_ be rid of me, because I am-!"

Mephiles' eyes suddenly went wide as he lurched forward and went sickeningly limp, just barely floating up off the ground. Rouge and Omega recoiled at the sight, only to see me standing behind Mephiles, two fingers pointed in the air. I had hit him in the base of his neck with a Chaos Spear while he was distracted.

_Sniped!_

"I…am forever…and I am…invincible…" he moaned, falling straight to his knees as the pool of purple liquid returned. In fact, it was Mephiles himself that was decomposing, his body beginning to drip with that purple matter until he became nothing but how he used to be before he had the nerve to corrupt my shadow.

_But most importantly, now my window of opportunity was wide open. _

With him in his vulnerable state, I approached him cautiously, holding out the Scepter of Darkness as my trump card. Just like it did a decade ago, it began to glow as it hovered above me. I spread my arms and let it do its work, with Rouge covering her mouth in stunned surprise and even Omega unable to assess what was happening. Mephiles turned into a gas as the power of the scepter called him to it, and just like before, his soul was entrapped in the crystal.

_It was done._

I was all ready to wrap things up…but the scepter suddenly turned upside down…and erupted in an even brighter flash. I was forced to halt the ritual and defend myself, along with Rouge and Omega. A sharp zinging sound pierced the air along with the unforgiving light, and when I thought it was never going to end, I heard Rouge yell out in anguish.

"It's destroyed!"

Sure enough, when I uncovered my eyes, the scepter was in pieces on the ground, discarded and nothing more than scrap. But what was more worrying than the last chance at dealing with Mephiles for good being destroyed was the swirling black cloud that appeared above us.

"The 'I' of now absorbed your shadow in the past…" Mephiles' voice rumbled out of the expanse. My quills sharpened instinctively as I narrowed my eyes. "…what may have worked ten years ago no longer does!"

His head formed from the black smoke, and the revelation of the fact that there was truly _no_ way to stop Mephiles anymore struck me like lightning. In fact, before I could even get in a word edgewise, Mephiles' arms emerged back into existence, and he launched a powerful blue resonation that shattered the floor completely and blew us backwards with no way to defend.

"Whoooooaaaa!"

Mephiles floated before us like our fight never even happened, even his menacing heliotrope aura appearing stronger than ever. Rubble rained down from the ceiling as he alighted on the ground, standing tall as a truly malevolent god…who still wasn't even at full strength… A light hum of amused laughter escaped him as Rouge, Omega, and I fell face first onto the ground, lying amongst the debris. I was still reeling from the battle, unlike him, so I hardly had the resolve to push my torso off the ground.

"Wait…no…" I croaked, upon seeing what Mephiles was beginning to do.

He had swiped my Chaos Emerald, which must've flown off my person when he sent us flying backward, and had combined its power with the yellow one. The gems swirled each other in a figure eight motion, almost as if they were taunting me for my failure. To rub salt in the wounds, Mephiles was able to use their power to form EXACT clones of him, right down to the looks, abilities, and stability. They went from two, to four, and kept multiplying exponentially, and soon the whole room was full of them and keeping count was an impossible feat.

"You MUST realize that you cannot hope to stop me with your limited power," the true Mephiles boomed, though it was hard to tell him apart from his militia of minions. "You were doomed to lose from the very beginning! How does it feel, knowing you were destined for failure from the moment you met me?!"

_Limited…power…?_

I stared hard at Mephiles, getting on my knees before struggling to push myself to my feet, but I did it. Seeing me stand in the face of this despair was enough for Rouge and Omega to pull themselves together and get up as well, so that we could all stand together…

"Hmph, so you say…" I stated valiantly, a knowing smirk creeping onto my face. Mephiles eyed me suspiciously but remained assertive.

"It's _futile_," he insisted, unwavering. "The world _will_ betray you. You've seen it yourself, and you KNOW that there will be no one to help you then…so why fight at all? Why risk your life for those who will persecute you later? Who will you fight against, when you'll have nothing to fight for at all?"

Would I really have nothing to fight for? I had already hit my rock bottom once, clamoring for a reason to fight, and I managed to bounce back from that. If I really had to, I'd do it over again, and again I'd find some way to carry on. The future still wasn't looking very bright, and no amount of optimism would change that, but I'd work through it like I did everything else in life. Sonic never let things ever slow him down, and Silver knew when to take an opportunity when it was presented to him, even if it did turn out to be bad…

_Bad things were going to happen, but it's how we dealt with them that was important._

"Will you _really_ let the world turn against you?" Mephiles asked again. "You could end that now before it even begins…!"

_If it means sticking with what I believe in, then yes, I will. _

Rouge and Omega sidled up next to me upon hearing that, with both of them all set to fight. I took a second to glance at them and found myself smirking, because I remembered what I was fighting for right _now_. I had a world I promised to protect, friends I vowed to keep safe, and a life I wanted to live, and to turn my back on all that now _just_ because things wouldn't go my way was like giving up. I worked too hard to throw it all away now.

_And "giving up" wasn't in my vocabulary._

"If the world chooses to become my enemy…" I grabbed the Inhibitor Ring on my right wrist, giving it a twist until it clicked off and fell to the ground. "…then I will fight like I_ always_ have!"

I broke out into a smile as I faced Mephiles, removing the Inhibitor Ring off my left wrist and letting it drop next to the other one. They clinked against each other, but otherwise rested lifelessly on the ground. I left the ones on my ankles on unless I desperately needed them, but as I took a fighting stance against the endless droves of Mephiles' look-alikes…I decided that I would be just fine.

They advanced toward me without hesitance, and I noticed that the real Mephiles had sunk into the ground and vanished, even leaving behind the yellow and green emeralds. I didn't truly understand why he didn't take the emeralds with him, but he was off to run loose again, and there wasn't anything I could do but fight, and hope to live another day.

_And really, _really_ hope that Iblis was prevented from being released._

"I will show you my true power…!" I announced, shoving the thought away. I threw my head back and let out a battle cry instead. I instantly burst with gold, teeming with the unheralded power that I possessed, no longer capped off by my inhibitors. Mephiles thought that my power was limited…well he was wrong in the worst way possible for him!

My energy radiated through the whole room, washing over every clone before I barreled forward, not even needing to touch them to eliminate them at this point. My aura was so strong and pure that simply coming into contact with me was enough to annihilate all the fakes in my midst. With Rouge and Omega behind me, Mephiles could've made a hundred thousand million copies of himself, and I'd be able to tear through them all!

It was true that I may have failed in stopping Mephiles, but I had given it my all right until the very end. I did what I could when I could at all times, and while I may have been forced to put my hands up and admit defeat, I was in no way, shape, or form down for the count now. I had lost this time, but we can't win them all, and once I got out of this I'd pick myself up and hunt down Mephiles for as long as it'd take.

This wasn't over by any means- it was just another thing to overcome, but I knew I could do it. I _am_ Shadow the Hedgehog, who never stays down for long and takes nothing from anybody. Whether I had one enemy or a whole world full of them, I would persist in what I believed, and those who wanted to help me on my path were welcome to do so. Rouge and Omega were constant reminders of that, along with Sonic, and even Silver now that he came around…

_I would never, ever question myself again from now on. Not anymore._

As I once said, I'd let nothing ever truly deter me again…and I knew that beyond a shadow of a doubt.


End file.
